After a lovely Saturday afternoon at the strawberry patch, we carted home with a gazillion sweet-smelling berries. A day later, they unfortunately looked a little over ripe. Trying to be creative, I searched for a list of things to-do with strawberries for my 5-year old and found a variety of ideas that seemed fun to me. But after each suggestion, he just said, “Momma, I want pie.”
10 Things to do with Strawberries including a Pie Recipe
20 Simple Lessons I Learned from Surviving Cancer
June 1 marked National Cancer Survivor’s Day. Being a two-time cancer survivor, I thought a lot about what this meant to me. What lessons did I learn that made my life better and can be applied to my friends, family and the greater community?
The first time around, cancer gave me confidence. I shopped for wigs with enthusiasm, bought new makeup to highlight my smile (rather than the thinning eyelashes) and had chemo parties to make the IV treatments enjoyable. I conquered breast cancer with positivity and grace. So, when I jumped back into my fast-paced corporate lifestyle, no monumental presentation or top-executive meeting could rock my world. I knew I could master it, because I overcame the greatest battle of all – I beat the big C.
Though the confidence was powerful and definitely a badge of courage after surgery and chemo, my approach to life was to “get back to normal.” I enjoyed forgetting that I once had cancer. My workaholic ways and successful career momentum reinforced that “I was back.” What I know now after my second round of breast cancer is that I missed the bigger lesson. Rather than go back to my normal life, I should have recognized the importance of taking care of myself. Like many in this world, I probably just thought that overhauling my routine was too hard. What I realized is that making a few small changes, little by little, eventually equals big changes in my health.
20 Simple Lessons on How to Take Care of Myself I Learned from Surviving Cancer
Mind:
1. Being bald, I noticed my eyes and learned they were truly beautiful. Wow – maybe I am pretty after-all.
2. Feeling tired, drained, nauseous and pain can be a downer. It is ok to be in a funk. Accept it and don’t beat myself up over it.
3. Even having cancer, I can be happy, have fun and laugh a lot. The first time around I was a newlywed and vowed to focus on silly little activities to keep us laughing. Who would have thought?
4. Cancer brings clarity, which makes life a tad bit easier. I didn’t care that I lost my breasts and hair because I just wanted to live. Nothing else was important but that.
5. Grappling with mortality reminded me to be grateful for everything in my life ranging from my relationships to my personal assets.
Body:
6. Sleep is ever so important. Cells can’t revitalize unless my body sleeps well. Farewell to the 3-hour slumbers I would subject myself to so I could wake up and work on a presentation or send emails at 4 a.m. Now, I sleep at least 7.5 hours and even nap, too.
7. Move around: walk daily and find an active hobby. Studies continue to support moderate exercise to prevent many diseases.
8. Eating whole foods, rather than packaged artificial items will give me more energy throughout the day.
9. My favorite foods changed, whether it was from treatment induced cravings or eliminating items for long periods of time. I learned that I don’t need Diet Dr. Pepper, Hostess Snowballs and gummy Coke bottles in my life.
10. Staying hydrated will help any toxins eliminate themselves.
11. Water doesn’t have to be boring. Add mint, basil and some fruit and it smells and tastes yummy.
12. Drinking hot water and lemon first thing in the morning, helps rehydrate and balance my body’s alkaline-acidic state for better overall functioning. I also have tons of energy since I’m not dehydrated. I now look forward to this drink instead of my mocha.
Practical Matters:
13. Don’t trust the Internet. Let it be a tool to help gather information, but go to experts to help answer the important questions. This applies to all areas in life.
14. Every patient/person needs a buddy, one who will attend hard doc appointments or monumental events to ask assorted questions or lend themselves for support.
15. Ask questions often. I politely call or email doctors and nurses (or business associates) when I have a random question or concern. It’s their job.
16. Doctors don’t always agree. Get second and third opinions.
Relationships:
17. Some people say the wrong thing, others say nothing…but that’s not important. Cherish those people who make you feel good about yourself.
18. Ask friends and family for help. They want to be there. Give them ideas to help them help.
19. Nature, music and animals are truly soothing. Building a steady relationship with the outdoors is invigorating.
20. I can get through anything because I have a true, non-toxic, loving and supportive best friend. He’s been my rock, my chauffeur, my cancer counselor, my roommate, my partner and my true love – my husband. Love and treasure family and best friends.
These lessons I learned from cancer, but can be applied to any aspect of life. What life lesson do you hold most dear to your heart?
Easy Recipe: Bean & Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
I don’t enjoy being in the kitchen. When I cook, I want it to be quick and easy, including prep time. Being a plant-based eater, cleaning vegetables can be a chore. So I often splurge on chopped fresh veggies or use frozen ones. I love finding vegan recipes that include hearty beans for protein, herbs for taste and vitamin-filled raw vegetables for nutrients. This bean and quinoa stuffed peppers one fits the bill.
Easy Recipe: Homemade & Healthy Lemonade
I used to O.D. on empty calorie drinks. A healthy lemonade recipe was unheard of…instead I chose low- fat and high sugary drinks. I rationalized that the lite mochas, skinny iced coffees and juicy sangrias were good for me because there was little fat. If I felt a few pounds creeping up, I would replace these with more diet sodas and Crystal Light. My fluid intake filled with sugar, fake ingredients and caffeine dehydrated me and likely contributed to my high stress level, inconsistent sleep habits and forever bloating body. When I quit drinking crud and focused mostly on water intake, my body felt incredibly vibrant and mind was amazingly clear. But as a former sugar-a-holic, sometimes I want a sweet, refreshing drink. In the spirit of summertime slurpies and refreshing cool drinks, I played around with my blender and a few juicy staple ingredients. I found that this lemonade concoction satisfies my sweet tooth. An added bonus is that it’s a fruity plant-based, high-nutrient drink. Plus, it’s simple and quick to make recipe.
The Overly Sweet Truth about Sugar – A ‘FedUp’ Movie Review
Did you know that in 1980 there were zero kids with type 2 diabetes? Now, there are more than 57,000.
Did you know that between 1977 and 2000, Americans doubled their intake of sugar?
Did you know that sugar is 8x more addictive than cocaine?
Did you know that in most cities you can’t walk more than 100-feet without your brain being activated by advertising or storefronts with junk food located at a kid’s eye-level?
I didn’t. Though I consider myself a well-educated consumer, the FedUp documentary opened my eyes to these statistics and the vast concerns regarding food in our country contributing to fatal illnesses.
Easy Recipe: Hearty Veggie Quinoa Salad
I’m a carbaholic. Now that I eat clean, I don’t miss the bagels, but still long for grains. Though whole-wheat pasta is more nutrient dense than the white stuff, my waist seldom forgives me after a big bowl. In trying many different brands, shapes and kinds of grains, I opted to experiment with quinoa. The taste is nuttier and the texture is softer than most pastas. It’s also packed with protein and I feel great after eating a plateful.