Category Archives: Food

Time for a cup of tea

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Food, Treatment by

So here I am sitting at Tragos alone. Alone except for my computer and you, because while writing a post isn’t the purpose of my visit to the coffee shop, I’m pretty pleased to be here and thought it was worth sharing. The original purchase of my laptop was made with the intention of daily visits to Tragos (or the library) while Zsolt wrote his thesis. We thought I could get out of his hair in the mornings.

Well, you-know-what ruined that idea. But nine months later here we are, tea on the table and a gluten free (chocolate) muffin ready to be enjoyed. This blog has been a frequent advertisement for my local coffee/tea/tapas/drinks shop – Tragos in Southampton, and while I’ve come here a tad too often, it’s important to have a place of escape.

Anyhow. That’s it. Here I am, about to get writing. Creating a bumpyboobs post doesn’t count as proper writing; it’s catching up with friends. Chatting a la keyboard.

Okay. I’m OUTTIE FIVE THOUSAND.

Catherine

Re-learning food

Posted in After treatment, Bumpboobs, Food by

So today I go into the grocery store to buy lunch and dinner. Lately I’ve been ‘popping in’, which is the least economical way to grocery shop, but it’s because I’d like to make a change in our diet and have almost no idea how to start. At home on my table (we don’t have a kitchen table, dining table, end table – just a table) are some cookbooks that focus on healthy eating and a paperback entitled, Anti Cancer.  They are calling out to me: “Eat Healthy, Eat WAY Less Meat, Eat Broccoli!” and I don’t know how to answer back. It’s not in my cooking repertoire.

Right – back on track, so I go into the grocery store today looking for a healthy meal. What’s a healthy meal? I don’t know, something that involves watercress, broccoli, cauliflower or kale and something that doesn’t involve gluten (for some), sugar, preservatives, trans-fats, phosphoresces etc.

Okay. So I go into the grocery store looking to buy some food. And as I get to the dairy section I recall that Mario recently dropped off some Mexican hot chocolate that is grade-A tempting to make. Therefore, I’ll need milk. But not just any milk, ohhh no. Not anymore. According to this book, Anti Cancer, if you’re going to have milk it needs to be organic and grass fed, which balances the Omega-3 and Omega-6 somethings. And, preferably, in a glass container.

Well Waitrose is good, but they’re not that good. All the milk is in plastic.

Strike one.

Next up – I look at the organic milk, which is promising. Organic equals good, right?

Right?

Ah! I don’t know. Because new questions are now forming in my mind: what do these cows eat? Do they get the proper nutrients? Do they eat organic corn, or organic grass? I start to doubt the organic milk. Strike two.

Therefore I turn to the label. Oh copyrighting, you are wonderful, and there is a small blurb about how Dutchie Organic milk adheres to the standards of So-and-So, but no mention about being grass-fed. Strike Three. I put down the milk. Maybe we’ll make soya-milk hot chocolate instead.

My point: A trip to the grocer’s is no long a trip to the grocer’s. It’s a freaking obstacle course of questions and confusion.

BUT this is how I look at things. At work we just switched to Windows Seven. It’s my guess that workplaces across the country are switching to Windows Seven – nice layout, pretty pictures, handy tools – so perhaps you can relate? Anyhow, the computer receives its upgrade and suddenly everything appears different. All the old programs are there, nothing has changed in regards to content, but my thoughtless everyday interaction suddenly dosn’t work. Once again, like the grocery store, I need to start thinking.

When I think, my brain grows new muscles and in time that behaviour becomes second-hand – this is inevitable (thank goodness!), and makes things go back to their quick, thoughtless, and wonderful ways. Sooner than later trips to the grocery store will not take fifteen minutes for a carton of milk because I’ll know what to evaluate and how to proceed. No more run on tangents about the books on my table, the lessons I’m learning, the food for the cows. I’ll know. I’ll recognize. I’ll be healthy with ease.

And those are good things.

Warrior watercress

Posted in Bumpboobs, Chemotherapy, Food, Treatment by

The University of Southampton recently published a study suggesting that watercress may help stop the reoccurrence of breast cancer. Isn’t that convenient?

Apparently they had a small group of women fast 24 hours and then eat a cereal bowl of watercress, after which blood samples were taken. The results were promising.

Findings suggest that watercress blocks a signal vital to tumour growth. You may or may not know, but cancer tumours need a lot of blood to grow. When scanning the body and looking for tumours (e.g. with the MRI, etc.) they are looking for splotches where an abnormal amount of blood has developed. Probably there is a lot more to this body-scanning science, but I’m happier without the details. Point is, tumours need blood. When they use up the blood around them, they send out a signal for more. Like waving over the waiter at a restaurant.

But in this case the cancer cannot signal the waiter. No blood arrives. Tumour dies. DIE TUMOUR! AH HA HA HA!

Obviously this is just the start for watercress research, and is only one of the many studies with many possible cancer solutions.

But it’s been published at my university, and it targets my particular problem. I’ve taken it as a sign, and have now started eating a small cereal bowl full of watercress per day.  Because, like I once mentioned, 50% of the pizza is not enough. I don’t want to play with my life expectancy like someone flips a coin. Screw that.

So along with everything else, I’m eating watercress. Add that to my pile of cancer fighting treatments, supplements, and therapies. Fifty percent is bullshit, though better than the ten percent they first quoted. Bit by bit I’ll raise my chances. By the end, we’ll eat that entire freaking pizza for  dinner, and a watercress salad on the side.