Concoctions (long)

[BY SUSAN]

In 2008 (I think) I purchased and read a book called Anticancer, by David Servan-Schreiber. He was an MD/PHD brain scientist who detected his own malignant brain cancer when he took part in one of his own studies (when a subject didn’t show).  His journey with cancer is detailed as he explored the research into how nutrition and lifestyle affect cancer outcomes.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber says that one can learn more about nutrition from reading a magazine like Cosmopolitan than he was taught in medical school.  The focus that he presents in the book is an anti-inflammatory diet, which protects against (and heals) not only cancer, but cardiac disease and others as well.  Every chapter cites well-documented peer reviewed, double-blind random studies (did I get all the qualifiers in?). 

 I can’t say why I bought this book back then, except that I like to read medical essays, especially those by Atul Gawande (my hero of sorts), Jerome Groopman,  and our own local Dr. Nortin Hadler. Ever since I overcame my debilitating adult-onset asthma with a simple breathing method, I’ve had the very strong feeling that we can affect our own health far more powerfully than we are led to believe. 
I have continued to practice some of the prescriptions from Anticancer since 2008.  Those of you who know me well are aware that the travel mug I carry most mornings is filled with green tea.  So when Peter was diagnosed right before Thanksgiving, one of the first things I did was get a copy of the updated version (2010) of Anticancer, and proceed to pour over it. 

          When Peter was trying to lose weight, not so many months ago, we watched a video by a charming-but-obese New Zealander who set out on a 60 day journey across the US with a blender in the backseat…vowing to consume nothing  but juiced whole foods for the entire tour.  It was a convincing story, so I went out and bought a powerful blender…not quite a Vitamix, but it does the job. 

         Now that Peter is trying to GAIN weight, I am using the juicer in whole new ways--trying to get healthy fat and protein into Peter.  So many people are saying that only calories matter, and some say "Go to McDonalds--that'll get you fat."  Though I remember the movie about the man who almost died from eating at McDonald's, I am not going to skimp on calories (for Peter) in service to quality.  It is possible to have both. 

               This weekend I am going to research the ingredients in that McDonald's milkshake, as well as what is in Insure or Boost or any other "weight gain" product.  If my blender can't match that then I'll shut it down and turn him over to the sugar and chemicals.  But I have a feeling that the glass of green froth I hand Peter every morning far exceeds the Mickey D shake in both calories and healing properties.

                I go for a variety of whole, organic foods, including a LOT of kale and chard--not many calories there, but they are about the only green stuff Peter ingests. I approach the concoction in a “mad scientist” mode, thinking calories, fat, protein, Omega 3/6 balance, micronutrients, and no sugar.  The studies are pretty convincing that cancer feeds on sugar.  In fact, the PET scan and others rely on sugar to carry chemicals to the cancer so they'll show up on the scan.

                So, today the blender mix went something like this.  First some yogurt, a splash of soy milk, a whole layer of fruits and vegetables (carrot, celery, apple, berries, orange, pineapple, kale and chard), a big dollop or two of peanut butter, a couple of scoops of protein powder and an equal amount of lecithin, then coconut oil, flax meal, walnuts, and a drop or two of stevia.

                Then I pour my glass off of the mix, and set it back on the power base to add more calories for Peter---heavy cream, more nut butters, a big squirt of agave nectar, more protein, etc.  The concoction is thick and green, but even without the stevia or agave it tastes pretty good.  Any suggestions welcome!

                I tried to make a more vegetable version of the mix, starting with an organic tomato juice that already had a lot of other good vegetables in it, and I kept adding fat and protein until I had a rather odd, orange, thick goo.  Fortunately Peter liked it (because there was a LOT once I was done), and he’s used it in some creative ways for evening meals.

                That’s enough for now.  I’ll share more from Anticancer as we continue down this path.  I'd love for any of you to read the book and critique it for me.  There are a lot of studies cited for every chapter.

                 Please continue to share your ideas!  Avocados, yes!  I am putting them in most everything I can, but they haven’t made it into the blender yet. 
           Keep your comments, cards, letters and lyrics coming.  They mean a lot to Peter (and me).  Monday is the cardiac MRI, and Tuesday is a CT scan for the purpose of "mapping" him for the radiation.  Then the big guns start the following week, I guess.

Thanks!   
Susan