The C word

So what has been on my mind lately? Cancer. Weird and morbid, I know, but it seems like lately the word keeps popping up in my daily life. A couple weeks my grandma was diagnosed with cancer. After a couple of agonizing weeks, we got what we considered a very hopeful diagnosis and she starts chemo today. We also learned that my "uncle" (my dad's sister's ex-husband, if that makes any sense) also has tumors in his brain and is being operated on as I write this. Sissy's teacher last year was also diagnosed with cancer last spring. One of my good friends from high school, a mother of 3, was recently diagnosed.

I feel like these days, right and left, we learn of another affected by the disease. I HATE it. Despise it. And wonder who else will be affected in my life? I lost my paternal grandmother to cancer in high school and it is hard not to think about how that loss has affected my family and how it affects us to this day.

So, after giving it a lot of thought I have decided that I need to take some steps in my life for my children to attempt to ward off disease, if that is at all possible. You read the studies all the time- if you do this, it causes cancer. If you eat too much of this, use too much of this, eat too little of this- you are at a higher risk for cancer. I feel overwhelmed- where do we start? What studies are accurate? What might truly work? So I made a list to start with.

Things we already do considered to deter cancer:
-Maintain active lifestyles/weights
-Eat very little red meat
I have really pursued this option with my children. In NY we had a very renowned
pediatrician and he felt very strongly about children- especially girls- not eating red meat.
I don't bash it to my children or anything, but I also do not offer it to them.
-Gave up bottled water
-Switched to stainless steel cookware
-Get screened for cancer regularly (yearly visits to the doctor, ob, and dermatologist)
-Never microwave items in plastic or "steaming" bags, essentially trying to avoid added chemicals.

Things about our lifestyle we are going to change:
-Drink organic milk, essentially avoiding hormones. When my kids were younger I was very
strict about this- we will be going back to this mindset.
-Eat healthy and raw. Ouch, this will be the toughest. I am a taker of convenience and will work
on this starting immediately. Will go into this more below...
-Avoid processed food. Isn't everything we eat processed? It's so hard! What will I feed my
children? :) I am taking baby steps in this area. Goodbye goldfish- hello fresh fruit and
cheese. I am making my own "granola bars" for Big Boy to eat in the a.m. Trying to do
more preparing ahead of time to allow me to provide better options.
-Drink more water, get lots of fiber, take supplements where we need to.
-Switching all food storage to glass.
-Avoid nitrates.
-Avoid high fructose corn syrup.

Does this all sound preachy? I'm sure it does, and I apologize. This certainly is not a "how to" for anyone, these are just personal choices that I want to put out there in an attempt to hold myself accountable. As I said, it is all very overwhelming- the number of people diagnosed with cancer and all of the studies telling you what can cause cancer. I think you have to pick and choose your battles. In this house, we are going to focus on dietary aspects and how our food is prepared.

Did you read this blog post that my friend Renee did? Well I did and I thought it was refreshing and inspiring. So much so that I immediately asked for a wonderful food processor and blender for my birthday to put her ideas into action. And, thanks to my mom, we are putting the Deliciously Deceptive theme into action at our house. (side note to Renee, thanks for "walking me through it" on your blog. So helpful!)

Overall, my children do fairly well. Sissy is almost a vegetarian. Her average lunch consists of cheese, applesauce/apple, carrots, and grapes or broccoli. She is a great fruit and veggie eater, but I struggle with her trying new things. I think some squash and zucchini in her macaroni would be wonderful. Big Boy is definitely harder. He likes fruit, not a lot of veggies. He has always had issues with texture. Another problem- he leans toward some fruits canned over fresh. (oranges, peaches, pears) I am trying my best to avoid the can (more chemicals) and provide fresh options. My plan with him is to introduce a yummy fruit smoothie (w/spinach) and, of course, hide the veggies in his meals as well.

So there you have it, my deep thoughts and my action plan for our family from this point forward. I can't say that we will be able to avoid cancer for certain, but I feel compelled to do my part to try. With it seemingly all around me these days, I am looking forward to the feeling that I am trying to follow advice. And eating healthier, seriously, you can't go wrong with that! Will you see me out enjoying a big steak? Yes. Will you see me ordering a couple sugar-filled margaritas? Absolutely. But I'm working on it. Baby steps...