Magazine Spread
1
Though my experience wasn’t as regimented as hers, it was the best I could do to share this new path with her. I had to quickly learn how to be a vegan-minded grocery shopper. Walking down the aisles, I would catch myself reaching for staples like milk, eggs and ice cream just out of habit. After a bit of research, I learned that hazelnut, almond and rice milk are all healthy substitutes for cow’s milk; eggs can be replaced in almost any recipe by adding applesauce; scrambled tofu (in place of scrambled eggs) wasn’t as freaky as I had originally thought; and Earth Balance vegetable spread was very tasty and far more healthy than regular butter. I also discovered my love for Rice Dream ice cream. I’ve always been an ice cream lover and was thrilled to find there was a non-dairy substitute for my sweet-tooth tendencies. As I talked with others about my vegan diet, they usually asked, “If you don’t eat meat products, how do you get your protein?” or “If you don’t drink milk, where do you get your calcium?” When I started this diet, I had to answer the same questions for myself. I learned from the Journal of The American Dietetic Association’s article, “Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada: Vegetarian Diets,” that “isolated soy protein can meet protein needs as effectively as animal protein.” I have started to include soy products as a form of protein in my diet, but I also enjoy adding beans to rice and nuts to salad recipes or just eating them for a daily snack. Also, when reading up on the vegan diet online and in books,I learned that I could consume a healthy amount of calcium simply by eating plenty of vegetables such as bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale or okra. Most vegetables contain higher amounts of calcium than a glass of milk and much less fat. By adapting to this diet, I’ve lost weight, had more energy, eaten healthier foods and become more understanding and supportive of the vegetarians, vegans and fruititarians of the world. In the end, what really matters the most is that I found a unique way to be there for my mom when she was forced to make a major life change. I’m proud to announce my mother is still a cancer survivor and still the greatest woman I’ve ever known. Living with cancer always requires a drastic change in lifestyle. For some, chemotherapy means wearing a wig for the first time in their lives. For others, creating a wheelchair-friendly home is suddenly a necessity. For my mother, learning to use a juicer for most of her meals and eating organically became a normal part of her daily routine. I’ll never forget the day my parents came to share the news. I had just graduated from college and was working as a videographer for a bible camp in northwest Iowa. I remember sitting in my office chair with a pit in my stomach as they explained the doctor’s diagnosis. My eyes started to glaze over as I read the multi-page medical report on “Polycythemia Vera.” It wasn’t until after they left that the information finally sunk in. Later that night, tears soaked the shoulder of my friend’s sweater as I held her for dear life and sobbed aloud, “My mom has bone marrow cancer!” My mom’s name is Joann. She is the oldest of six missionary kids. She was born to be an organizer, party host, leader of the pack and spiritual mentor. I attribute much of my faith in God to the seeds she planted in my heart when I was growing up. She decided shortly after her diagnosis that neither chemo nor radiation therapy was the path for her. Our family spent hours researching alternative therapies for cancer. We soon learned of the Gerson Institute. Dr. Max Gerson, the founder, had cured himself of cancer back in the 1920s by studying the miraculous, cancer- fighting nutrients in fruits and vegetables and putting them to use by extracting and consuming loads of antioxidants by way of juicing. Currently based in San Diego, Calif., the Gerson Institute introduces thousands of people with “incurable” diseases to safe, healthy, alternative methods of treatment. Within a few months of starting this therapy, all of the meat products in our refrigerator had been replaced with organic produce. While protein naturally supports the growth of healthy cells in a body, Dr. Gerson found that protein can nourish cancer cells as well. He also concluded that the elimination of protein from a diet for a short period of time actually improves white T-cell counts. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that aid the immune system greatly, and cancer patients rely on strong immune systems to help them overcome their disease. As a result, my mom’s diet was stripped of any foods containing protein, in hopes that her T-cell count would improve as well. Her therapy also included a raw-foods- only diet. I learned that the process of freezing foods or cooking them at high temperatures drastically reduces the amount of healthy nutrients we consume by the time the food reaches our plates. I also learned a lot about the ingredients in processed, canned or packaged foods – many wreak havoc on our bodies and have been shown to increase one’s risk of cancer. Basically, my mom’s diet became stricter than even a vegan’s diet. Once I started to learn more about my mom’s therapy, I understood that it would be a huge personal sacrifice for her to maintain this diet. Stopping for ice cream on a hot summer day, eating hot dogs at sporting events and making her typical pasta casseroles were now out of the question. I decided to show my support for her by becoming a vegan. I knew that her diet was specifically designed for someone with her condition and wouldn’t be healthy for me, so I learned as much as I could about being a vegan and started making my own personal dietary sacrifices. If you would like to take a vegan recipe for a spin, I’ve included some for you to try. Bon appétit! Tiana Toso, contributing writer, is a lover of nature, swing dancing and learning about different languages and cultures. LATER THAT NIGHT, TEARS SOAKED THE SHOULDER OF MY FRIEND’S SWEATER AS I HELD HER FOR DEAR LIFE AND SOBBED ALOUD, ‘MY MOM HAS BONE MARROW CANCER!’ by tiana toso 2 3 T Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small red pepper, diced (orange or yellow peppers work well too) 1 medium carrot, shredded 1 large sweet potato, diced 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes 2 cups water 2 teaspoons of curry seasoning Juice from one lime Put all the ingredients, except for the lime juice, into your pressure cooker. Seal and bring to high pressure. Cook for 3-5 minutes, turn off heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Add lime juice just before serving. Oatmeal Cookies Makes: 12 cookies 1 cup quick oats 1 cup white flour cup whole wheat flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt teaspoon vanilla cup brown sugar cup white sugar cup raisins cup applesauce 2 teaspoons egg replacer powder 2 tablespoons water *Optional: cup raisins Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the dry ingredients, including raisins. Mix the egg replacer with the water. Add it and the applesauce to the dry ingredients. Drop evenly sized balls onto a non-stick cookie sheet (lightly coated with oil, if necessary). Bake for 12-15 minutes.
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Transcript of Magazine Spread
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Though my experience wasn’t as regimented as hers, it was the best I could do to share this new path with her.
I had to quickly learn how to be a vegan-minded grocery shopper. Walking down the aisles, I would catch myself reaching for staples like milk, eggs and ice cream just out of habit. After a bit of research, I learned that hazelnut, almond and rice milk are all healthy substitutes for cow’s milk; eggs can be replaced in almost any recipe by adding applesauce; scrambled tofu (in place of scrambled eggs) wasn’t as freaky as I had originally thought; and Earth Balance vegetable spread was very tasty and far more healthy than regular butter. I also discovered my love for Rice Dream ice cream. I’ve always been an ice cream lover and was thrilled to find there was a non-dairy substitute for my sweet-tooth tendencies.
As I talked with others about my vegan diet, they usually asked, “If you don’t eat meat products, how do you get your protein?” or “If you don’t drink milk, where do you get your calcium?” When I started this diet, I had to answer the same questions for myself. I learned from the Journal of The American Dietetic Association’s article, “Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada: Vegetarian Diets,” that “isolated soy protein
can meet protein needs as effectively as animal protein.” I have started to include soy products as a form of protein in my diet, but I also enjoy adding beans to rice and nuts to salad recipes or just eating them for a daily snack. Also, when reading up on the vegan diet online and in books,I learned that I could consume a healthy amount of calcium simply by eating plenty of vegetables such as bok choy, cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale or okra. Most vegetables contain higher amounts of calcium than a glass of milk and much less fat.
By adapting to this diet, I’ve lost weight, had more energy, eaten healthier foods and become more understanding and supportive of the vegetarians, vegans and fruititarians of the world. In the end, what really matters the most is that I found a unique way to be there for my mom when she was forced to make a major life change. I’m proud to announce my mother is still a cancer survivor and still the greatest woman I’ve ever known.
Living with cancer always requires a drastic change in lifestyle. For some, chemotherapy means wearing a wig for the first time in their lives. For others, creating a wheelchair-friendly home is suddenly a necessity. For my mother, learning to use a juicer for most of her meals and eating organically became a normal part of her daily routine.
I’ll never forget the day my parents came to share the news. I had just graduated from college and was working as a videographer for a bible camp in northwest Iowa. I remember sitting in my office chair with a pit in my stomach as they explained the doctor’s diagnosis. My eyes started to glaze over as I read the multi-page medical report on “Polycythemia Vera.” It wasn’t until after they left that the information finally sunk in. Later that night, tears soaked the shoulder of my friend’s sweater as I held her for dear life and sobbed aloud, “My mom has bone marrow cancer!”
My mom’s name is Joann. She is the oldest of six missionary kids. She was born to be an organizer, party host, leader of the pack and spiritual mentor. I attribute much of my faith in God to the seeds she planted in my heart when I was growing up. She decided shortly after her diagnosis that neither chemo nor radiation therapy was the path for her. Our family spent hours researching alternative therapies for cancer. We soon learned of the Gerson Institute. Dr. Max Gerson, the founder, had cured himself of cancer back in the 1920s by studying the miraculous, cancer-fighting nutrients in fruits and vegetables and putting them to use by extracting and consuming loads of antioxidants by way of juicing. Currently based in San Diego, Calif., the Gerson Institute introduces thousands of people with “incurable” diseases to safe, healthy, alternative methods of treatment.
Within a few months of starting this therapy, all of the meat products in our refrigerator had been replaced with organic produce. While protein naturally supports the growth of healthy cells in a body, Dr. Gerson found that protein can nourish cancer cells as well. He also concluded that the elimination of protein from a diet for a short period of time actually improves white T-cell counts. T-cells are a type of white blood cell that aid the immune system greatly, and cancer patients rely on strong immune systems to help them overcome their disease.
As a result, my mom’s diet was stripped of any foods containing protein, in hopes that her T-cell count would improve as well. Her therapy also included a raw-foods-only diet. I learned that the process of freezing foods or cooking them at high temperatures drastically reduces the amount of healthy nutrients we consume by the time the food reaches our plates. I also learned a lot about the ingredients in processed, canned or packaged foods – many wreak havoc on our bodies and have been shown to increase one’s risk of cancer. Basically, my mom’s diet became stricter than even a vegan’s diet.
Once I started to learn more about my mom’s therapy, I understood that it would be a huge personal sacrifice for her to maintain this diet. Stopping for ice cream on a hot summer day, eating hot dogs at sporting events and making her typical pasta casseroles were now out of the question. I decided to show my support for her by becoming a vegan. I knew that her diet was specifically designed for someone with her condition and wouldn’t be healthy for me, so I learned as much as I could about being a vegan and started making my own personal dietary sacrifices.
If you would like to take a vegan recipe for a spin, I’ve included some for you to try. Bon appétit!
Tiana Toso, contributing writer, is a lover of nature, swing dancing and learning about different languages and cultures.
later that night, tears soaked the shoulder of my friend’s sweater as i held her for dear life and sobbed aloud,‘my mom has bone marrow cancer!’
by tiana toso
Recipes
2 3
T
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red pepper, diced
(orange or yellow peppers work well too)
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2 teaspoons of curry seasoning
Juice from one lime
Put all the ingredients, except for the lime juice, into your pressure cooker. Seal and bring to high pressure. Cook for 3-5 minutes, turn off heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Add lime juice just before serving.
Oatmeal Cookies Makes: 12 cookies
1 cup quick oats
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup applesauce
2 teaspoons egg replacer powder
2 tablespoons water
*Optional: 1/4 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix all the dry ingredients, including raisins. Mix the egg replacer with the water. Add it and the applesauce to the dry ingredients. Drop evenly sized balls onto a non-stick cookie sheet (lightly coated with oil, if necessary). Bake for 12-15 minutes.
