Budwig Diet Basics

   
    A few months ago I started sharing what I call my Beat Cancer Bootcamp routine. You may remember the post about coffee enemas. If you missed that one, you can read it here.   Today I want to tell you about the Budwig diet, which is based on a mixture of cottage cheese and flax oil. But before I begin telling you about that, I want to share a bit of cancer news.

   In the article in which I talk about how to do a coffee enema, I also mention the Navarro urine test. It is a test that anyone can do on their own by sending a urine sample to the Navarro  Clinic.  Click here to find out how to do it.  The test is a reliable way to monitor your progress, and see if your cancer fighting protocol is working.  I did my first one in January, after my CA 125  (blood test) jumped from 70 to over 300 in just two short months. I then did another one in mid February. I just got my results this Monday. It can take a few weeks to get the results, since your pee is going first class (mail) all the way to the Philippines. The news is that there has been no change since January. While I would have liked to have seen it go down, the point is it did not go up! That means that the amount of cancer in my body has not increased.  

   A test result of less than 50 means that you do not have cancer. A result of 50 or above indicates that, yes, you do have cancer. While some cancers can push this number very high, 50-70 is the typical range. Mine was 52.2 both times. This has given me the validation that I needed to continue treating cancer on my own. I am more determined than ever that I CAN DO THIS!

    The Budwig Diet is a cancer fighting protocol that was developed by Johanna Budwig back in the  1950's. It includes a diet free of processed foods, sugar, and meat. It includes pure water, sunshine, fresh fruits and vegetables, and a mixture of cottage cheese and flax seed oil. 

   Dr. Budwig was a leading authority in the study of dietary fats. While studying the metabolism of fats in the body, she discovered that blood samples from people with cancer lacked phosphatides and lipoproteins . In order to replenish these essential nutrients, and maintain good health, one needs to have adequate essential fatty acids (omega 3's, and 6's) in their diets. Essential fatty acids are important components of our cell membranes, and are needed for proper cell respiration, and cell division. 

   Dr Budwig discovered that when you mix flax oil with sulfur rich proteins (such as cottage cheese) the oil becomes water soluble, and increases oxygenation of the cells, as these essential fatty acids bind with the oxygen in our blood, and get pulled into the cells.
  

   The cottage cheese mixture can be eaten plain, or with added fruits, nuts, etc..  I like to eat it with some raw broccoli florets, red onion, and red pepper mixed in. And I always add a bit of turmeric and black pepper for added cancer fighting properties, and top it off with 1 T. of freshly ground flax seeds. Flax seeds should be eaten within 15 minutes of grinding, because their oils go rancid quickly after they are ground.

   The recipe is simple. It is two parts cottage cheese, to one part flax seed oil.  Some recipes call for 2/3 c. to 1/3 c. oil, others 1/2 c. cottage cheese to 1/4 c. oil. Both the cottage cheese and the oil should be organic. I like Barleans flax oil, and Nancy's Cottage cheese, which has a bit of a tangy flavor from the probiotics.

   Start by adding your measured amount of cottage cheese to the mixing container. Then add the measured amount of flax oil. The oil must be completely incorporated into the cheese, and I believe you need an immersion blender to do this. At least to do it easily. If you don't have one, they are not that expensive, and come in handy for so many other things. Such as making salad dressing. I have this one by Cuisinart. You can buy that or another one online here.  

   Once the mixture is completely smooth and homogenous, with no streaks of oil, let it sit for a few minutes, and then mix in whatever you like, by hand. I usually eat it for breakfast as pictured above, but sometimes I divide the portion size in half, and have it as a snack with carrot and celery sticks.You can also add spices and vinegar to make it more like a dressing. One thing to note though; is that this should be eaten shortly after it is made. You cannot make it ahead and save it for later. So if you divide the recipe, you will have to make it twice that day to get the full amount, and it can be difficult to mix the smaller amount due to the height of the blade in most hand blenders.

   Due to the fact that I have had chemo-twice, I expect that my body has a lot of repairing left to do, and I may not see a drop in my test number for a couple more months, but the fact that it is stable makes me feel confident that I am on the right track. I believe that this diet, juicing, supplements etc, have been instrumental in supporting my bodies efforts to heal.  I will do another test in a few weeks. If the results do not show improvement, then I will add some other things to my protocol to strengthen it's ability to fight cancer.
  
   Even though I call this my Beat Cancer Bootcamp, it's not because I see this as a war. No, cancer is part of my body. Cancer is something my body makes. It is not an invader. So I have always seen this as more of a journey than a battle. But we're not in the Girl Scouts here. No! This is hard core training for a new life. It takes hard work, dedication, and faith. And there are no cookies allowed, just major cancer ass kicking nutrients! So eat your salad soldier!

Links:

To read a great article/ interview between two of my favorite cancer blogggers  chris beat cancer and green drink diaries, who both used the Budwig Diet as part of their healing
click here.

For books and sites providing more info on the Budwig diet and other cancer protocols check these out: cancer tutor website, and Cancer Free a book by Bill Henderson

p.s. This isn't just for people with cancer-the cottage cheese flax oil mixture is a great way for anyone wishing to maintain good health to get their  essential fatty acids. If you don't have cancer you could eat half a portion.

Full Circle

      I'm feeling a bit worn out these days. February was a bit complicated, and all the gear shifting  I did has left me feeling a bit numb, and unable to process it all.

    I started the month in the peace and quiet of the Insight Meditation Society retreat center, focusing on my inner terrain in noble silence. I left the retreat feeling rejuvenated by the deep sense of calm and focus that I gained there. When I returned home I got the results of my PET scan, and found that while some of my tumors are still stable, the ones in my liver are very active, and there is a new one just outside of my spleen. This news was disturbing, but at this point in my cancer journey it caused a ripple, not a wave of emotion. More than anything it let me know that as hard as I am working at rebuilding my body, in order to stop it from making cancer, I have to try harder. Then my 84 year old father ended up in the hospital. He had pneumonia which turned into sepsis. He is home now, and seems to have made a full recovery - thankfully. But for the first time in my life, I found myself feeling like he needed me to take care of him.
.
   So, here it is March first, and I'm trying to make sense of the past month. I'm not worried about my dad anymore, but his illness has altered our relationship. I feel like the experience has brought us closer together. Illness can do that. At least one that shoves your own (or a loved ones) mortality in your face.

    I know that my own cancer has brought me closer to myself.  It has shown me my strengths, and my weaknesses. It has put me in touch with my true feelings, and what I value most. It has not taken away the fear, or the anger, or the sadness that are all a part of life. I still deal with those. But it has taken some of the strength away from these emotions by giving me the courage to explore them more deeply, and to recognize when and if they are imprisoning my true self. 

   I also believe that my cancer has made it easier for me to understand my Dad at this point in our lives, since we are both quite possibly near death. For my Dad this is almost certain. As for myself, even though I feel I have the chance to live many more productive years, at 52 years of age, I know what it's like to live with death just a breath away. 
   
   I thought about death a lot during my meditation retreat. I thought about it in a straight forward manner, as just another experience in life. I thought about it in practical terms-burial arrangements, wills etc.. I thought about it with wonder. Would it be beautiful? peaceful? scary? All of this may sound morose, but all this thinking about death actually relieved me of any lingering fear I may have had of dying. It made me realize that when my time came, I could welcome this inevitable natural event. It also made me wonder if I could actually control the experience. If I didn't fear it, and it had no power over me, could I choose how I experience my own death?  And could it be beautiful? I believe it could.

  Thinking about death in this way has given me even more courage to face my cancer, and to take even more control in how I choose to live with cancer. When I found out the results of my PET scan, I knew I would have to go it alone from now on-no chemo, no oncologist. I would have to direct my own healing. I couldn't let myself be a cancer patient for the rest of my life. Whether I drove myself to a full recovery or my own funeral, it would be okay. I'd be driving myself to where I need to be.

  It seems that instead of shifting gears as I called it at the beginning of this post, I have come full circle this month in accepting the inevitability of death- both my own and my fathers, whenever they may be.
                      
                                          May we both live and die without fear.


   

  


  
   
   

Alternative Cancer Treatments

      Be warned, I may be over sharing here, but there are a few things I would like you to know about me. I take my coffee up my butt. I send my urine to the Philippines. And I zap myself with radio frequencies. This may all sound crazy, but I don't think it is any crazier than pumping poison directly into my veins, which is exactly what they did when I was going through chemotherapy.

Cancer Update/ I'm Still Here

   I thought  I was going to wait until next week, after I see my doctor, to give you an update on my cancer, but there's something I want to say today. I'm still here.
   
   If you have read my post Cancer I Know, then you know that I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in November of 2013, and then moved onto stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2014, when the sneaky cells metastasized to my liver.

    My initial prognosis in 2013 was that I would live for 1 to 5 years. Even after all the surgery and chemotherapy that I endured, that was all I could expect - 1 to 5 years. After it metastasized to my liver, my life expectancy was reduced to 1 year or less. That was just about a year ago today. When I found out this past November, just 5 months after completing chemotherapy for a second time, that the cancer was back again, my doctor took my hands in hers, and with a grave look on her face, said- this is going to shorten your life. Now I really like my doctor, so I held my sarcastic tongue, and just said - I know. But what I was thinking was -  what do you mean by that....don't you think that's a funny thing to say to someone who should be dead by now? 

   When I see my doctor next week, if the lab results show that the cancer is still growing, I will again be told I am dying. Frankly, I'm getting pretty tired of people telling me I'm dying. 
I have cancer. The cancer may kill me. But I am not dying! I am living!    I'm still here.

   Considering 1 in 3 Americans will at some point in their life (those are the current statistics) have some form of cancer, isn't it time we started talking about living with cancer? Isn't it time we erased the assumption that cancer = death, so that we can talk about it like any other life struggle? 

   Cancer sucks, but I'm not sure it's the worst thing that can ever happen to a person. The fact that we have made it so, has not only scared a lot of people with cancer into living like they are dying, but it has also isolated a lot of people. 
   
   The fear surrounding cancer has made it difficult to talk about.  When I was first diagnosed, I told very few people. I didn't want to make them uncomfortable. I knew my cancer diagnosis would change the way they looked at me. I was now someone who might die soon. I was now someone who made them think about scary things - like dying.  That's changed. I no longer feel I need to take responsibility for how others may react to hearing that I have cancer. I now tell anyone and everyone. 

   I don't mean that I run around telling people I have cancer for no reason, but I don't hide it either.  And when I do tell people, I find because so many of us have cancer, or know someone who has cancer, that it gives us both the opportunity to show compassion, and to share our story, or the story of a loved one. It creates a connection. It takes away a little bit of the fear. It let's us be human. Not a statistic. Not a media headline. Just human.  

   So, I just want to say. 

I'm still here.

So is my cancer.

I am alive.

I am not afraid.

I am living!

   




   

Bone Broth and Avoidance

While Diane is in her kitchen a few short blocks from me, making her colorful, fresh, inspired food, I am over here cooking everything to death in my bone broth soups. As similar as our journeys are--from being single women living alone in foreign countries to sharing this cancer journey--they are also different stories. I am currently working with my third tumor, second one on my spine (first was in my colon), so strengthening that part of my body feels paramount. After I had the first tumor on my spine removed in May--they went in through the front of my neck, took out the entire T-1 vertebrae and replaced it with a "cage"--I was told by a healer that bone broth would be really beneficial for me. Intellectually it made sense, but I was a bit stumped. I don't like meat--stopped eating it the day I left my parents house to go to college and never looked back, until I was pregnant at 42 and unable to satiate my hunger with beans. At the time I would indulge in an occasional grass-fed beef burger and that would do the trick. My son is now ten and I make some basic meat dishes for he and his dad, but usually from ground beef or poultry. I have made stock from chicken bones before, but beef bones were just not in my repertoire. This might not seem like a huge hurdle for the average person, but for me, at the time, it was. I have a history of becoming a bit paralyzed by things I don't know how to do, so I find lots of ways to avoid having to deal with them. Okay, so I was also dealing with my first ever radiation treatment, which was far more debilitating than I had expected, along with the myriad of other issues that come from now being a Stage 4 cancer patient. So I put it on the back burner. for months.

It was around the same time I was able to get myself up into the studio that I was ready to actively pursue beef bones. I wish it hadn't taken me six months, but it did--and this is another part of the journey: No Judgement. The time simply wasn't right. So, now I just had to find some bones, and make sure they were good ones. Even though this step had felt particularly difficult months ago, now that I was feeling more grounded it became almost effortless. Suddenly I was hearing about a local butcher shop, Sutter Meats in Northampton (20 miles from here), that sells only pasture-raised local meats. Maybe I could just ask them. Like so many of us, I am still learning how to ask for help, especially about something that I feel like I should already know about, but I was finally ready to ignore my ego. "Everyone knows how to cook meat, except me. I'll look foolish," was the voice. Turns out that the guy behind the counter could not have been any nicer or more helpful. He was happy to share all kinds of information, which has become the basis for my bone broth. He told me that they roast their bones first, and even though I can't recall exactly why (which I am happy to blame on my steroid-induced brain fog), I notice that it helps gets some of the fat off them. So I roast the bones, then add a little apple cider vinegar to draw out the minerals, which an herbalist friend told me to do. He said that they cook theirs for 48 hours, but that 24 is really sufficient, which I've seen confirmed elsewhere so that is also what I do. Sometimes I add seasonings and vegetable scraps if I have them, and other times I just cook the bones and leave the seasoning until later, in the soups. Louise Hay and Heather Dane have just written a new book entitled The Bone Broth Secret and they suggest using a combination of beef and pork bones, which I did for this batch. Plus, if I'm going to the trouble of cooking something for 24 hours, I might as well make a large batch, right? Although I just discovered that my pot might be a bit small for two bags worth….. I also know I massage therapist who adds immune boosting chinese herbs to her bone broths, which is next on my list to pursue. 

I bought a similar sized bag of pork bones, also $2.99 lb.

Before roasting for an hour at 400 degrees

After (see all that fat that I will just pour off?)

My new stock pot is almost too small now!

Artwork/Fear

When Diane and I envisioned this blog months ago, it was as a way to communicate what we are experiencing as we move through the world as creative people, as cancer survivors, as friends. There was the intention that it would be a joint effort, but up until now the extent of my effort was simply to support Diane as she got the blog up and running—which she has done beautifully and courageously. I couldn’t seem to get myself to contribute. I suppose there were a number of logistical reasons--my own recurrence of colon cancer, caring for my family and myself--but there was also a way that I was simply holding back.

Diane and I have had many conversations about fear—not the kind of fear one might think two people with Stage 4 cancer would talk about, not the fear of death, per se, but of not living fully. Starting a blog was a dream of Diane’s, and while I love to write and have often turned to that as a form of creativity and expression, it is painting that has been gnawing away at my heart for years. I have had periods in my life where I have successfully made art, showed the work, and had some small measure of “success” in terms of how it’s been received, but then it always goes underground. Work and family take over, and it is simply so much easier for me to care for others than nourish myself--physically, emotionally, and creatively. Cancer has changed that.

Over six months ago, after I was recovering from my second cancer surgery, it became clear that I would need to take a leave of absence from work. My hope then was that I would not only devote more time to making art, but that it would become an essential part of my healing process. And yet it still took six months before I was able to get up to my little third floor studio and start. That is okay—I don’t judge myself anymore. But now that I’ve been up in the studio working and bringing a few pieces close to completion, it seemed that the next step was to share it, on the blog. This of course meant pushing through more fear. “Is the work too emotional?” “How will people respond to the text/prayers?” “Is this other, newer style really mine, or did I borrow it?” Telling Diane that I was ready and having her come take pictures was a little uncomfortable, but do-able. Then there was the actual writing of this piece and publishing it. More resistance and fear. It’s not even so much a fear of “not being good enough” anymore (as that was the fear for years), as it is a fear of simply being seen, of taking up space. It’s what the blog is about too--and I think Diane would agree—being willing to say, THIS is who I am, in all my imperfection and vulnerability. In the past, keeping myself small made me feel safe, but that doesn’t translate into fulfillment and joy. So, voila. Artwork, unfinished, untitled, but out there.

An older piece (1997)

Dal With Rice and Vegetables

khichri

    Today is the first snow of the season where I live. It's not coming down very fast. It's more of a dusting than a squall, which is what I would prefer for it's drama, but a dusting will do. At the least, it is enough of an excuse to let me curl up and spend the whole day doing couch related activities, like reading, watching dvd's, and maybe doing a little hand sewing. I have a pair of pants that will be out of season if I don't get them hemmed before spring. Spring is pretty far off though, so I don't expect I'll be doing any hemming today. It's only the first snow, so I don't want to get over ambitious. It's probably best to put it off. It will give me something to do during the next snow storm.

   Cooking is still on the agenda though. But before I tell you about what I am making, I want to tell you about my day yesterday. I spent the afternoon yesterday at the dentist. I had my root canal removed, and one of my mercury fillings. I go back tomorrow to have the other one out. This is part of my- beat cancer boot camp- plan. We all know mercury is toxic, and I believe, as do many others, that having mercury in your mouth harms your immune system, as it leaches from the filling into your membranes. Root canals are also a problem because they are dead teeth. They have no blood supply, so they often contain dangerous bacteria. I've been reading about these dangers for decades, but who wants to spend a lot of money taking out teeth and fillings that you have spent a lot of money having put in. Well...since I have cancer. I do! I am doing everything I can think of to make my body wake up and do the right thing-STOP! making cancer cells.

   Mercury removal must be done safely, otherwise you could release more mercury into your mouth and cause a toxic overload. I thought I was going to have to go to Tijuana (yes Mexico) or Montreal to have it done. Safe removal is not the standard practice, and I was having a hard time finding someone in the U.S.. Then I discovered a dentist in Groton MA who does it. That's only an hour and a half away! 

   When I arrived they took a full mouth X-ray and then explained the procedure. They start by covering your face with a thin white cloth . I was given pure oxygen to breath through my nostrils. Then a rubber/latex dam was fitted into my mouth to prevent any particles or vapors from hitting my mouth. They also put charcoal under my tongue to absorb the mercury in case any vapors get through. The dentist and his assistant wore heavy duty gas masks during the procedure. The kind you see people wearing to protect themselves from nuclear fallout. They also had me hold a vacuum tube that was vented to the outside of the building.  All this for one little blob of silver mercury. And this thing has been sitting in my mouth for decades!

  When they were done with the filling and root canal removal they gave me far-infrared waves to the site to stimulate healing, and sent me home with homeopathic  remedies for pain, inflammation, and bone trauma. I feel fine today, and have no pain. It cost me a lot of money, but really, given my situation-I'm worth it. 

   Now back to the couch...I mean cooking. I hope I didn't lose you with my little public service announcement about mercury, because I am making a delicious dal that you will want to hear about. With this hole in my jaw I knew that soup would be the easiest thing to eat today, and given that I love dal and could eat it everyday, and have in the past, what else would I be making on a snowy day like today. It's warm and comforting. It's substantial and filling. It's nutritious and delicious. And it reminds me of India...ahhh India-warm sunny India.

   So here we go. I am calling this dish dal-ish. It's actually more like khichri because it has vegetables and grains cooked into it, but because I used quinoa instead of rice, it didn't seem right to call it khichri. Plus I figured not everyone knows what khichri is, so I thought it best to lure you in with a dal recipe. I'm rambling I know. I do this when I talk too. 

Dal With rice and Vegetables 
Serves 5-6

Dal ingredients:
1c. moog dal
1/4 c. basmati rice (or quinoa)
6 c. water
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 medium onion chopped 
You can use any combination of vegetables you like. I used what I had, but cauliflower, potato, and peas would be nice also. Carrots are a good addition.
4 plum tomatoes chopped
1 bunch of spinach chopped
1/2 c. peas
1 1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
cilantro to garnish

Tarka ingredients
1T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 T. chopped onion
1 chopped green chili (optional)

   Start by rinsing the moong dal beans very well. You want the water to run clear. Do the same with the rice.
   Add the dal and water to a heavy bottom pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim off the foam from the surface as they cook for the first few minutes. Then add the rest of the dal ingredients. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hr. This is like porridge. Everything is well cooked. Give it a stir once in a while to be sure it is not sticking. Add water as needed to keep it from getting pasty. You can adjust the consistency to how you like it, thin like soup, or thick like porridge. 
   You can make the tarka when the dal is almost done. Just heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the seeds, and red pepper. Stir for a few seconds, then add the onion and cook until starting to brown then add the green chili (if using). Stir for another minute.
   Remove the dal from the heat. Taste and adjust the salt. Add the tarka.
   Top with cilantro and serve. A wedge of lime on the side is always nice.

Ovarian Cancer Update/Inspiration

   Well, here I go again. My ovarian cancer is active, and my doctors want me to do more chemo to try to stop it. I found out a few weeks ago when I went in for blood work earlier than I was scheduled to because of some suspicious pains I was having. Nothing major, but I knew something wasn't right. I knew it was the cancer.

   This seems to be my routine. For the past three years, just as the holiday season approaches, just days before Thanksgiving, I am told "you have cancer or, the cancer is back". Gee thanks. Well I guess I should be thankful that it let's me enjoy my summers before it sets me back on the road to chemotherapy. Of course my doctors want me to start chemotherapy right away, but I'm not ready. I'm close to ready, but not yet willing to subject my body to more poison, at least not until I feel I have no other option, so I am putting myself through beat cancer boot camp. This means more juicing, more supplements, more research, an even more restricted diet, and finding a way to take pleasure in it all. If I can't stop the cancer on my own, at least I will know that I did everything I could to strengthen my defenses against the poisons the doctors have to offer.

   I read the following quotes a while ago, and filed them away for times like these, when I feel myself being tempted to accept that this might be the end in a way that feels too close to giving up the fight, because some days I am so exhausted that I think resignation would be a relief.  But I know I don't have it in me to give up. I believe in the power of hope. It's all I've got. It's all I need.

   Words like these help.

" I can't believe I've come this far 

to only come this far"

"Keep the faith. The most amazing things happen

when you are about to give up."

      I also find that testimonials from people who have beat cancer  are helpful and inspiring, so I have included a couple of links for those of you who are interested. For an online testimonial from a man who treated his cancer with supplements  click here.  For a compilation of testimonials in book format, there is the  book "Radical Remission, Surviving Cancer Against All Odds" by Dr. Kelly Turner Phd., which is enjoyable and inspiring to read

available here.

Cancer Doesn't Like Turmeric

   I have been reading a lot about turmeric lately, and am totally on board with adding it to my daily diet.  The healing properties of turmeric first caught my attention more than a decade ago when I read that populations that consume turmeric regularly have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Another reason, I thought, to love Indian food. Now I am finding out that turmeric also has powerful anti cancer properties.

   Turmeric is a rhizome from the curcuma longa plant that is native to South East Asia, but is also cultivated in other tropical areas. It is related to ginger and has a similar shape and dark tan skin, but is smaller with a bright orange interior. When dried and ground into a powder it is easily recognized by its golden yellow color. You will find it on the ingredient list of those familiar bright golden yellow mustard jars. It is best known as a spice commonly used in Indian cooking, but it also has a long history of use in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. 

  Curcumin, the main healing ingredient in turmeric, is antiseptic, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Inflammation contributes to many of today's chronic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and cancer.  Curcumin can protect us by inhibiting our bodies ability to create the kind of long term low grade inflammation that leads to these diseases. Its detoxifying abilities also protect us by reducing the harm that free radicals do to our cells. 

   Studies are showing promising results in many areas of cancer prevention and treatment. Curcumin has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors, shrink tumors in certain cancers, prevent metastasis, increase the effectiveness of some chemotherapies, and reduce side effects.

Here is a list of some of the other ways turmeric is used in healing:

• to protect against flu
• as a natural pain killer
• to detoxify the liver
• to sooth an upset stomach
• to improve digestion
• as a natural antidepressant 
• applied topically to heal and prevent infection

   Turmeric can be bought in capsule form and taken like a supplement, but I feel it is better to use it in cooking or to make a tea. I find tea the fastest easiest way to incorporate it into my day. I buy bulk organic turmeric by the pound on Amazon.com

Lemon Turmeric Tea
4c. water
1T. turmeric powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
lemon or lime juice to taste
optional: sweetener, ginger root, 

Start by bringing the water to a boil. Add the turmeric, black pepper and a few (1/4") slices of ginger. Boil this for ten minutes then remove it from the heat, and strain.
Turmeric has an earthy, almost woody and bitter taste, so a bit of sweetness gives it a nice balance. Honey is best, but if you already have cancer I recommend you go with just a bit of stevia. You want to let the tea cool a bit before adding the juice if you plan to drink it hot, or wait until it cools completely if you will drink it cold. Sometimes I add just a bit of juice, other times I add enough to make it a true lemonade. I usually make it first thing in the morning and drink it cold throughout the day.

If you don't like the way it tastes, start out with less turmeric until you get used to it.

The black pepper is important here. It contains piperine, which improves the absorption of curcumin.

Here is another recipe I like:

Spiced Turmeric Tea
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp. turmeric
pinch of black pepper
2 tsp. of chopped ginger (a couple of slices)
1c. of water
1/2c. almond milk (or you could use coconut milk)
sweetener to taste

Bring the water to a boil. Add all the spices and simmer for ten minutes. Add the almond milk. Heat but do not let it boil. Strain and add sweetener of choice. 

Please note: I have read some contraindications for turmeric. For instance pregnant or nursing mothers should consult their doctors before using turmeric, and it may interfere with some chemotherapies. So, please be sure it is safe for you to use if you have any medical condition.

Cancer I know (my story)

"You never realize how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have"

unknown

   Cancer, I know it well. I have been living with it for almost two years now. It was two years ago, the week before Thanksgiving, that I was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer. 
   Cancer, I know it well. I have had tumors surgically removed. They gutted me like a fish. I had a complete hysterectomy and an appendectomy. They removed my omentum. They removed tumors from my colon and my diaphragm.
   I survived against the odds. I was told that I had a 40% chance of surviving. I was told that as soon as I could, I needed to get myself up out of the bed and walk. So I did. I dragged myself and my IV pole, with my bags filled with fluid dripping into my arm, down the hall and around the nurses desk, lap after slow lap, with someone by my side in case I collapsed. 
   I was bloated and heavy from edema from the waist down from lying in bed, while at the same time being nothing but skin and bones up top. My five feet five inch frame had dropped from 115 pounds to ninety five pounds in a matter of days. I was not allowed to eat for the first three days, and my body was quickly burning through it's supplies trying to heal itself.
   Four days after my surgery I was released and sent home with my abdomen stapled shut from the tip of my sternum to my pubic bone. I was sent home with ten days worth of medicine that I had to shoot by needle into the flesh of my slack scrawny thighs to prevent blood clots. I was shown how to care for my wound, and told to watch for signs of infection. I would start chemo as soon as I healed. 
   Cancer, I know it well. I have had chemotherapy twice now. I have lost my hair- all of it. Not even an eyelash was spared. I didn't really care. It was no time to be vain. I looked as bad as I felt. I have lost my ability to taste food. I have had painful neuropathy in my hands that woke me up at night. I have had mouth sores which made it impossible for me to eat, even liquids sipped cautiously through a straw caused terrible pain. Talking was also painful, except when I could get the sound out through my clenched teeth without moving my tongue. Which is nearly impossible. My cognitive functions became impaired, and the steroids I had to take turned me into an emotional maniac, and prevented me from sleeping. 
   I live alone, and it was the dead of winter. I didn't have a car at the time, so I took taxis, or walked when I had the strength. At times I ordered chinese food to be delivered when that's all I could manage.  People helped, and probably would have helped more if I had asked, but I am independent, and I felt I was managing. I find it hard to ask for help, so I actually prefer struggling on my own. I tend to turn people away.  
    Seven months after this all started, when I finished with chemo, I was in remission. My blood work (CA125) was below the normal mark, which is 32. It was at 4000 when I was diagnosed! After a few months of being drug free, I felt better than I had in years, but then that feeling went away. The cancer was back, and it had metastasized to my liver. I was (am) now at stage 4. So, just five months after my first chemotherapy ended, I was again on the fast track to an early death. I was right back on the same road.... In spite of this I decided to delay chemo for a while. I was still feeling relatively well. I was still working and traveling. I had just spent a few weeks in Paris and the French Riviera. I wasn't ready to ruin what quality of life I still had. Every successive blood test showed that the cancer was growing rapidly, and I lived everyday with the decision of- is this the day I should start chemo. Will tomorrow be too late.
   When I started chemo this second time my blood CA125 was at 800.  The chemo brought it down at an astounding rate. After only two rounds of chemotherapy it was down to a jaw dropping 50! Yay! it worked. Two more rounds brought it down to 12, a comfortable spot well within the normal range of 0-32. Okay, another chance to live! I have now enjoyed two months of remission.  I will be tested again at the end of December. If my blood CA125 level has risen, I will again have to decide if I want to do chemo.
   Ovarian cancer is treated as a chronic disease. Even though it has one of the highest fatality rates, and is not curable, there are drugs, chemotherapy drugs available to prolong your life. And as long as they keep working, you keep living, until they destroy your body so much that they kill you, or they just stop working and the cancer kills you. What a choice!
  By now I know cancer very well, I have lived it, I have researched it, and I have talked with so many people who have it, or who know someone who has it. I am so grateful for all the stories I have heard. I have learned so much, and gained so much strength from them. 
   So, that's my story. I hope no one misunderstands my motive, and thinks I would accept their sympathy here. Congratulations would be accepted though. I wrote this simply because I wanted to share it. This is my life. This is what I have to share. And if it makes even one person with cancer feel less alone for having read it, I would be very pleased. 
   
   Cancer is not a death sentence. Cancer is a challenge. I choose to meet the challenge everyday.
   
   If anyone would like to write to me and share their story, or ask me any questions, you could use the comment box on this blog, or email me at figfoodin@gmail.com. 
   Thanks for listening
Diane