Day 3--

Just talked with Mom by phone this morning and got a report on her third day. She reported feeling more tired. But that’s to be expected, we think. Even so, she finds it hard not to feel like she’s being lazy.

She is so wise about her health. She has been eating lots of fruits and vegetables, she said. She continues to find ways to get some exercise, even though she’s on chemo meds. She went on a walk yesterday, fooled around with an elastic resistance band, and did some “sit and get fit” exercises.

Mom begins to take two new medications today and will continue them for the next 14 days. One is predisone, some kind of steriod that is supposed to supercharge your energy level but also can make you irritable. The other is the oral chemo drug from the MOPP regimen. She hasn’t had to struggle with nausea yet, and we hope that continues with this additional med. Peg has been really helpful in rounding up all of the prescriptions and in consulting with the pharmacists about drug compatibility.

Peg has also been rounding up lots of nutritious foods so Mom can follow up on the great advice and wonderful support we have been getting from our cousin, her niece Pam in California. Pam, a RN with a long-standing “obsession,” as she calls it, about nutrition and natural healing, has been consulting with Mom about the importance of diet, especially as she confronts this cancer. Pam has given us lots of information about the value of digestive enzymes in fostering health of the digestive tract, blood and internal organs, so both Mom and I are now taking Vitalzyme. If you want to know more about this, I can connect you with Pam; just let me know.

Pam also has been teaching us about a health drink called the “Green Smoothie.” This smoothie is made of green leafy vegetables—lettuce, spinach, kale, whatever appeals to your taste buds—and fruits. By pureeing the raw fruits and raw green leafy veggies into a drink, you are able to get very high levels of vitamins, minerals and fiber into the diet without having to munch down lots and lots of salad--and also without having to cook the veggies, which destroys a lot of the vitamins. The Green Smoothie concept that Pam recommends so highly is explained in Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. My aunt and uncle have been making them every morning for quite a while now, and Auntie Rose has devised a very tasty recipe.

Pam reminds us that we are what we eat.

Here’s one of Pam’s emails.

GREEN SMOOTHIE


1/2 fresh pineapple ( or more to taste) Directions for cutting a pineapple the easiest way is on a small tag, attached to some of the pineapples.)

2 small yellow papaya

1 banana, or more to taste

1 - 2 cups red grapes
Add any seasonal fruit available. Berries are a great addition.

Blend all the fruit together, first. Add some
water for better blending
if desired, (ie: 1/2 to 3/4 cup water)

Then start adding some green leaves, (and you can add just one type of green (like Romaine lettuce) or you can add 3 or 4 different green varieties in one smoothie - it's up to your taste and availability and time) But remember, it is important to experiment with variety of different greens - so try to change your greens (and fruit each week or so). The amount should be gradual - if you start out too green - your taste buds may not like it right away and reject it, so start adding a little greens at first and adding more - as you start craving them. It really happens that way.

I tell people new to this to start with romaine and spinach leaves - for a few weeks. After that, start experimenting with other lettuces and greens.

You can also add celery stalks and cucumber too for more liquid. They are excellent fiber and contain very important nutrients, too.

If you prefer it thinner - you can just add water or you can add fresh squeezed orange juice or tangerine juice. (I don't recommend commercial orange juice). I have also added extra squeezed oranges to increase sweetness when I have added too much green.

Some GREENS to consider:

Romaine (no iceberg)
Green/Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Kale (3 types)
Parsley
Watercress
Arugula
Beet greens
Any Chard
Collard Greens
Turnip greens
Carrot tops

Bok choy
broccoli
Celery
Cucumber

Sprouts

Herbs

Parsley(2 types)
Cilantro
Dill
Basil
Fennel
Mint
Peppermint
Spearmint

Some FRUITS to consider: (eating seasonal fruit in season is always best)

Pineapple
Grapes
Figs
Bananas
Oranges
Berries - strawberries, huckleberries, blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, gooseberries, etc
Melons - watermelon, cantaloupe, galia, honeydew etc
Kiwis
Apples
Figs
Dates
Guavas
Papaya
Mangos
Grapefruit
lemons
pears
nectarines
peaches

If you make a large amount in the morning - you keep half of it in the refrigerator for the next day. But store it in glass container or a stainless steel thermos.

It seems easiest for most people to wash and store all your greens a few times a week, so you don't have to mess with so much each morning. You can purchase a plastic storage container from Longs. I like the brand Sterilite and bought the 15 quart, 14 L size. After spinning the cleaned greens dry in a salad spinner, you can store the greens in this container. It fits perfectly in most refrigerators. And be sure you always have lots of fruit around.

Enjoy experimenting!

Love,
Pam

So don’t forget that you can post comments to these messages. Peg, Bill and I will make sure to get them to Mom. Even better, call (I’d post the phone number if it weren’t a risk to invite unwanted callers as well).

And for those sophisticated users, the RSS feature at the bottom of the screen allows you to subscribe, so any new posts will be sent directly to your blog reader. (If that went over your head, don’t worry. It skims the top of mine, too.)