Cooking for Children With Cancer

January 11th, 2013
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Danielle Cook Navidi (in apron)
Photo Courtesy of Georgetown University Hospital
If you ever doubted that one person can make a difference, then please meet Danielle Cook Navidi.
Navidi is a loving mother totally committed to the idea that she could cook healthy food for her then 11-year-old son, Fabien Navidi-Kasmai, diagnosed and receiving treatment for Stage III Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  His taste buds were shot, he couldn’t digest his favorite foods and sadly, he would go for days without eating.
Navidi reminds me of many mothers I know who are steadfast in their beliefs about what can help their children … Read More

Melissa’s Story

December 4th, 2012
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Melissa Betrand Knights (baseball cap) with her children After a loved one dies, we try to find ways to stay connected to them even though they are no longer physically with us. Our memories of being with that person, or of just the person by themselves, is a strong bond that can never be broken.  Sometimes we save a piece of clothing they wore or some everyday item that brings great meaning to us.  Being in a particular place, smelling a scent or hearing a song can bring those strong memories back to us without any notice but sometimes that… Read More

A Dose of Kindness

October 5th, 2012
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Visiting people who are sick is one of the kindest acts we can ever practice.  Sitting and talking, holding their hand and listening seem so simple to the healthy but those things are so essential in helping the ill know that they matter, that they are not forgotten even though they are no longer able to independently move around. Bringing about a smile or laughter through a funny story is just as important as any medicine prescribed by a doctor.  Laughter, in particular, is a powerful distraction from pain and illness. One of my sisters and her husband are compassionately… Read More

You Say Tomato…

August 31st, 2012
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I can’t resist the red deliciousness of ripe, juicy summer tomatoes. . .plus, they are sooooooo good for you, body and soul. Tomatoes are considered a superfood because they contain a whole series of anticancer nutrients, such as lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that can help protect your body against degenerative diseases by neutralizing free radicals. What a mouthful!  In plain English what I’m trying to say is that tomatoes build up your immune system, the body’s front line system for fighting diseases.  In fact, doctors have found that a maintaining a diet high in the lycopene reduces the… Read More

Self-Empowerment When You Are Ill

August 16th, 2012
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Good news is always worth sharing and today I have some to share with you. In February I wrote a blogpost about four friends of mine who are in different stages of battling different types of cancer. This week I learned that one of them went in for some follow-up tests and the results came back clean!  This is remarkable on so many levels.  This person chose an aggressive course of treatment and has also tried very hard to change the foods he eats, exercise more and even allow less stress into his life!  He is not home free but… Read More

The Anti-Cancer Zone

June 6th, 2012
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To my family members and friends who are waging the battle of their lives!  You cancer warriors will understand this list of things that cancer cannot do sooooooo much better than we who always support you yet we are not cancer patients.  I say thanks to www.thesilverpen.com for putting together this list of positive affirmations!! While your battle with cancer may sometimes be lonely, we love you very much and want to help you in your courageous fight to go into remission:… Read More

Kris Carr — Reboot Yourself

May 17th, 2012
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Kris Carr Kris Carr is an incredible resource that just keeps on giving! As an author and wellness coach and someone who constantly inspires me, Carr has a sassy and down-to-earth style that speaks to me when I need an emotional lift.  I find she always helps me reboot my health and wellness priorities whenever I think I am not eating right, exercising enough or stressing my brains out. As a cancer survivor, Carr draws from her personal experiences and she also draws from the advice of medical and health experts to provide helpful tips on self-care.  I just love… Read More

Brenda Frese’s Positive Thinking

February 29th, 2012
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When you are raising a family it is easy to get caught up in working too hard to provide for them.  Most people want to improve their family’s quality of life and it’s natural to want to give your family the material things in life that can bring excitement and joy to them.  But in the end, they are just things.  Things can’t hold your hand, tell you they love you or bring you inner peace. In the daily process of making a living, I try to put the brakes on myself and ask myself why I am working so… Read More

Vulnerability

February 21st, 2012
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Photo by Lee Gant Four people I know very well are bravely fighting cancer.  Currently, each person has a different kind of cancer and each person is in a different stage of treatment.  Through them, I have become more intimately aware of fighting this horrendous absolutely awful disease and I have learned a tremendous amount about developing resilience from them. Two of the four people recommended a book to me, “Anti-Cancer A New Way of Life,” by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD.  Servan-Schreiber is a scientist and a doctor who was diagnosed with brain cancer seventeen years ago and is currently… Read More