Eating Organic!

You are what you eat.  It is up to you to choose what food is going to sustain you day after day.  You prepare it; you eat it; you digest and absorb it; it becomes your blood, your cells, your tissues.

When I shop at an organic market and buy a diverse collection of vegetables, fruits, grains, seaweed noodles, kombucha, fresh fish....it makes me SO HAPPY.  I love knowing that my family is putting truly good food into our bodies.

The more I learn, the more I understand how critical it is that we all eat organic whenever possible.  This is important for cancer prevention and especially if you are living with cancer.  For your body to fight the cancer cells, it has to be at its absolute best.  That means digesting food easily and not battling free radicals, toxins, and chemicals that make your body and your liver have to work hard to flush them out.  If you have cancer, you want your body to have an easy job of digesting and using food to its benefit, so that it has energy to fight the tumor and heal.  Organic food will absolutely make that process more likely.

"Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed; if we permit the last virgin forests to be turned into comic books and plastic cigarette cases...if we pollute the last clean air and dirty the last clean streams...so that never again will Americans be free from noise, the exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive waste.  And so that never again can we have the chance to see ourselves as...part of the environment of trees and rocks and soil, brother to the other animals, part of the natural world and competent to belong in it."

-Wallace Stegner

Having less pesticides on our growing food is also, obviously, better for our planet.  The cleaner our planet, the cleaner we will be.  Eating organic supports a cleaner water supply; agricultural run-off is poisoning our water, which affects each of us with the water we drink.  If we support organic, there will eventually be less toxins on the land.

In addition to organic food being less toxic and polluting of our bodies and our planet, Rutgers University recently conducted a study comparing organic produce with conventional, and the study showed that organic has a (much) higher nutritional count.  So not only are we getting fewer toxins, chemicals, and genetically engineered ingredients in our body when we eat organic, but we are also getting simply better nutritional value.

Yes, organic is more expensive. But it is worth it.  Think about the long-term health costs you may accrue from eating food grown with pesticides or antibiotics.  Also consider that we only spend 13.8% of our income on food today, compared with 29.7% in 1950.  Food is cheaper, and the quality is less.  And our chronic disease and health problems have increased dramatically along with cheaper production costs.  If affording organic is hard on your wallet, refer to the chart below, which lists the "dirtiest foods," which are the most important to buy organic, and the "cleanest," which you can buy conventionally if you need to.

I love this recipe because, to me, lentils feel filling and delicious, without ever bogging you down.  The addition of the bright, colorful, juicy fruit and vegetables makes this dish a delight. And it is fast and easy, too.  Put on the lentils while you're unloading the dishwasher, chop the veggies, and...voila!  Be sure to use all organic, of course. 

Fruity, Crunchy Lentil Salad

1 lb black lentils or french lentils

1/2 hothouse cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 green onions, diced

1/2 cup almonds, chopped and toasted

1-2 cup red grapes, halved

2 slices celery, diced

lemon zest from 2 lemons

juice from 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

-Cook lentils, by covering them by 2 inches with water in a large pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 22 minutes on a simmer

-Meanwhile, dice and chop all vegetables, grapes & almonds

-Pour veggies/grapes in a large bowl, and cover with lemon zest, salt and pepper

-Add in lentils once cooked & drained, and add olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Adjust seasoning to taste.

-Enjoy at room temperature or cold!

I like black lentils for their pretty, delicate shape and firm texture.

The mixture before adding the lentils.

Joy, Happiness, Hope = Healing & Health

What can you give to someone who is living with cancer? You can give them joy, laughter, hope and happiness.

Friendship, family, and happiness help us lead longer, healthier lives.

More and more studies are coming out that show that people who have joy & happiness in their life live longer.  Relevant to this blog, people with cancer who have laughter in their lives live longer, too.


Dr. Bernie Siegel, who has worked with thousands of people with chronic illnesses and helped them live healthier, longer lives says, "You can't separate thoughts and beliefs from your body.  What you think, and what you believe, literally change your body chemistry.  If you have a pessimistic, hopeless outlook, you'll change your body, your immune function..."

I have heard numerous stories through Institute of Integrative Nutrition of people willing away their cancers with deep thought, meditation, or simply strong hope.  Visits from friends or family, happy letters, family stories, music...all these things can bring great joy to any of us, but especially if you are living in the scary shadow of chronic disease.

We have amazing control of our minds and bodies, but sometimes we don't access it all. Without being conscious of it, we tell our bodies to stand up and to walk from here to there.  It's worth a try to tell our bodies to eradicate our cancer tumors every day.  Why not give it a shot, right?  Studies have shown that our DNA may be programmed in to our bodies, but our choices relating to exercise, nutrition, relationships, and the happiness levels in our days can alter that DNA.

There is an incredible woman, in my view a leader in the holistic health movement, named Hannah Marcotti, who runs a health practice called Hannah's Harvest.  She is leading a program starting on November 26th called The Holiday Joy Up.  Take a look.  Have your friend who is going through a hard time take a look.  Even tell your friend with a lot of joy in her life to take a look! It is a simple, joyful, 10-day gift in your email that brings extra joy to your day...and reminds us that joy is a choice and can enhance EVERYTHING.

So, in honor of Hannah and her amazing program, I am featuring a recipe today that she came up with, and called "Squash and Olive Goddess Bowl."  I have altered it a little, and have even exchanged the squash, so I'll change the name here, too.

Noodle and Olive Joy Bowl
by Hannah Marcotti

1 package rice thins (noodles found in Asian section of the market)

olive oil 


1 pint cherry tomatoes

diced 
2 cloves garlic 


1 can white beans (you can also get them marinated in the section of the store where you buy olives)


1/4 cup diced queso fresco


1/2 cup green olives, sliced

splash tamari soy sauce 


squeeze of lemon juice

-Put white beans in a bowl with some olive oil and one of the minced garlic cloves, to marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
-Prepare rice noodles from package instructions. Usually you boil water, and pour over your rice thins in a ceramic, glass, or metal bowl to soften for 10 minutes, then drain.
-Saute cherry tomatoes in oil, until tender. Add garlic for one more minute then remove pan from heat.
-Chop the olives and the queso fresco.
-In a large bowl, add noodles, tomatoes, beans, cheese, and olives. Splash the tamari and lemon juice, toss and enjoy.

*Olives are a source of healthy fat, needed by our bodies to digest and absorb many micro and macro nutrients, minerals, and vitamins.  Olives also lower systematic inflammation, which can reduce your risk of cancer, asthma, and arthritis.  The oleic acid in olives also significantly reduces your risk of breast cancer, by cutting the levels of a cancer-promoting gene by up to 46%.


**Beans are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and fiber.  They have a lot of folic acid, phosphorous, iron, protein, magnesium, manganese, and potassium.  Beans not only lower cholesterol, but their high fiber content prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making them an excellent choice for someone with diabetes or hypoglycemia.  Beans & lentils also are preventative against cancer and the Nurses Health Study II showed that eating beans twice a week reduced your risk of breast cancer by 24%.

Approaching Someone with Cancer

My mom asked me to write this entry, because it is a recurring issue for people fighting cancer.

It is an inevitability....you find out someone you know has cancer, and you want to express your support and ask them how they are doing.  Undoubtedly, your intentions are kind, thoughtful, and sympathetic.  It is important to remember, however, that cancer, like any issue with one's body, is a very private matter.

There are a number of people, such as close friends or family, that you would run right up to and ask how they are doing.  Many people who have just gotten this news about their health reach out to others immediately.  They send emails.  They blog.  They tell you all their ups and downs when you run into them at the farmer's market.

Others, however, don't want to talk about it one little bit.  And that is their right, their deserved privacy.

It is a good idea to find out if you can, from someone close to the person, whether they are open about it, or private.  If they are private, you can give them an extra big hug and say, "I have been thinking about you a lot and sending you a lot of love."  Or "I heard from your son what you are going through and I just wanted you to know that I am sending you lots of get-well-quickly vibes."  In this case, statements are better than questions.  If someone asks my mom a question about her health, she says "Fine" in a way that makes you wonder if you had actually said, "I'm going to torture you here for a little while, and there's nothing you can do about it."

If you want to reach out to this person, you can offer help through a letter, or through someone close to them.  You can arrange meals through this confidante, as well.  It will still be incredibly meaningful to the person dealing with the disease, but they will feel like their boundaries were kept intact.

For someone more open about their cancer, you can approach them with equal openness: "I have heard what you are going through and I would love to be helpful.  What can I do?  I hope you have felt alright through your treatments."  If they want to elaborate about their health, you have given them an opening.  If they don't, you haven't asked a question that puts them on the spot.  They may add you to their email list.  They may need an ear.  Chances are they will let you know how you can help.

I like the following recipe for this blog, because it is both bold and snuggled-in at the same time.  It is also delicious.  A perfect, tiny, nutrition-filled meal for someone with a tiny appetite, or a great appetizer for someone throwing a party.

Veggie Mushroom Cozy

24 white mushroom caps, with stems cut-out
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 fresh roma tomatoes
1/4 fennel bulb
1/2 cup white beans
olive oil for roasting

Vinaigrette

In a small jar place:
1 part balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of yellow mustard
a big squeeze of honey
a pinch of sea salt
1 clove or garlic, minced
-Put the lid on and SHAKE until combined.
-Then add:
2 parts good olive oil
-SHAKE again until well combined

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Drizzle & rub olive oil over the mushroom caps (with stems cut out), sprinkle with salt, and roast them, open side up, in the oven for 12 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, very finely dice the celery, carrot, tomatoes, and fennel.
4. Mix in a large bowl with the white beans and vinaigrette.  Stir well.
5. Once the mushrooms are golden and cooked, stuff each one with the mixture and serve!

If you have leftover veggie mixture, either have it tomorrow for a salad at lunch, or make additional mushrooms!

***Did you know that mushrooms are one of the top-six cancer-fighting foods?  There is a great acronym in nutrition that refers to the best cancer-fighting diet: GOMBBS (Greens, Onions, Mushrooms,  Berries, Beans, and Seeds.)

Mushrooms are an important part of the human immune system.  They stop cancer from metastasizing.  If you ate mushrooms every day you would reduce your risk of breast cancer by 64%.  And that's any type of mushroom: button, oyster, shiitake, although a mix is best.  All mushrooms contain poly-saccharide and beta-glucan components which are anti-cancer properties.  They are also an excellent source of phytochemicals, B-vitamins, zinc, and many needed-minerals.