Everyone I talk to wonders what they might have done to cause their cancer or what could they have done to avoid it. Well, we do know the healthy behaviors we all should have to be at our optimal self and what ones to avoid. What activated the breast cancer gene in me? Well I don't know. I do know that you need to exercise,PROVEN and you need to not smoke, PROVEN, and you need to reduce stress, PROVEN, and you need to limit alcohol intake, PROVEN, and you need to sleep well, PROVEN, and you need to eat well, PROVEN. Now how many of us actually observe these unwritten rules 100% of the time? I am not sure any of us are that good. I do not always practice what I preach but I do know there are some easy interventions that I can routinely do. I walk, alot. I do know that my daily routine of blueberries is also an easy intervention. We know that Blueberries are a good source of Vitamin C and that it provides antioxidants and 1/2 cup of blueberries, equals the same amount of antioxidant power as five servings of peas, carrots, apples, squash, and broccoli. Blueberries may even help with age related short term memory loss and may have other benefits in guarding against urinary tract infections, protecting the brain from stroke, and reducing heart disease risk. So, yes, I do eat blueberries. Is it the answer to everything? No, of course not, but the things we need are not manufactured or processed or has additives, it is just everyday fresh products that have not been genetically altered. I recently admitted to my husband that I am much better at drinking liquids rather than trying to eat everything my body needs in a day. We looked at a few juicers and before I knew it, I was the recipient (for our anniversary) a mega-powered juicer that is so big it won't even fit on the counter under my cupboards. My first attempt was quite amusing as I put all the fruits in that I would normally and yes, blueberries were included. I snuck in a a few carrots and then as I looked in my vegetable drawer in the refrig, I noticed a cucumber and since I love them in water, I thought, why not? I cut it in half after washing it and plunged it into the concoction at hand. As I looked at the other half sitting there, I realized it would probably go bad before I used it up so I added the rest. The last piece I thought I should add was some yogurt and quickly learned that a juicer will not incorporate the yogurt. It just stuck to the shoot of this monster as it growled at me. I needed to take the juice and put it in a blender with the yogurt to have the two combined. Hence another machine on my counter! Well, I ended up with a lovely looking purple drink which wasn't half bad but my husband did detect the vegetable taste in the mix and finally figured out it was the cucumber (should have stuck to half of it). No, he did not discover the carrots but with all of this juicing, I came upon a revelation. My revelation is, I don't eat kale and putting it into a juicer with other fruits in vegetables doesn't make it different, it still tastes like kale. I am also a visual person so that drinking something green is not in the least appetizing to me. So I will continue to experiment so that each time I use the monster it will bring down the cost person serving but as of right now, it is making very expensive drinks. So what can I do, be true to myself and work towards a healthier consumption of goods and a healthier lifestyle and in the mean time, I have been looking at an old table leg that I bet that mon
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AuthorMy name is Sue Kilburn and I am a clinical nurse breast cancer educator at the Yolanda G. Barco Oncology Institute in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Archives
March 2015
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