UnDomestic

Writings of a teachermom, choosing to stay home with her kids, while loathing all domestic responsibilities! In late Aug. 2008, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer. After surgery, chemo and radiation, I was given theall clear. However, in the late summer of 2008, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, which metasticized to other areas.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

And the weekend means...another illness

I thought about taking my kids outside today. I know it's not 50 degrees..the temperature I have deemed as outside playtime doable. But it is 32 degrees...and that means it's not negative anything. And my kids need to get outside so badly. A little sledding down our side hill would do them well.

However, Cameron, who I thought had recovered from his vomitting of last weekend, woke up with 101.3 fever. With my husband on call, we now won't be doing anything but hanging out inside. These random illnesses are getting quite ridiculous!

Here's my organic food list given to me by the dietician.

WHEN TO CONSIDER BUYING ORGANIC FOODS
(Source: Environmental Working Group Report Card: Pesticides in Produce)

Most Contaminated Foods--Consider purchasing these organic
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Cherries
Imported Grapes
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Potatoes
Red Raspberries
Spinach
Strawberries

Least Contaminated Foods -- Not as essential to purchase organic
Asparagus
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sweet Corn
Kiwi
Mangos
Onions
Papaya
Pineapples
Sweet Peas

I REALLY wish Strawberries were on the 2nd list. Those things are $8 when organic...and I buy strawberries all the time!

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Friday, February 22, 2008

Food for thought

It’s funny how we all live in our own little “boxes” and forget that not everyone lives like you do. For example, I thought that leaving my house at 6:30 in the morning for a doctor’s appointment was ridiculously early. I assumed that the roads would be empty. Well, I was wrong. A LOT of people are on their way to work that early in the morning, every single day. I hit quite a bit of traffic, nothing stopping, but a few areas that slowed down quite a bit.

Yesterday, in addition to my early morning appointment, I also had a late afternoon appointment with a Dietician. She was wonderful. Very realistic. Not trying to push any agenda. Just giving me good, solid, information about the foods to eat to try to prevent more cancer growth. (This is not to be confused with “curing” cancer. There is no magic cure. ) She also runs marathons, so of course I like her!

I’ve heard a lot of different information from a variety of sources and people when it comes to diet and products causing/fueling cancer. I’m pretty skeptical about everything and never really know what to believe. Because in reality, if all these different products/foods cause cancer…then why don’t we all have cancer? So it was great to be able to talk to someone who researches this for a living. She discussed the different studies where people are getting such information and how the studies may not be so reliable. Not only did she let me know that sugar does not feed cancer cells….it feeds all cells, she also told me that drinking water out of plastic bottles will not cause cancer (although it is bad for the environment); as long as you don’t heat anything in the plastic bottles/containers, you’re okay. Should I be interested, she gave me a list of products that I should buy organic, and another list of foods where organic doesn’t really make a difference. Considering how much organic fruits and veggies cost, I valued this information.

She also gave me some solid, research-based, sources to turn to if I do have questions or want to read more information to make educated decisions with regard to my diet and cancer. These include, in case you’re interested, A Dietician’s Cancer Story, by Diana Dyer MS, RD, www.cancerrd.com; and www.caring4cancer.com by Suzanne Dixon MS, MPH, RD; and The New American Plate Cookbook from the American Institute of Cancer Research.

If anyone wants more information, I’d be happy to post some of what she gave me, and you, too, might want to incorporate some of her suggestions into your own diet.

(As I’m writing this, I’m munching on a piece of Papa John’s Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza….not on her list of recommendations!).

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