A new way of eating

I went shopping at the grocery store this weekend and was struck by how differently we're eating these days. We weren't eating badly previously (lots of fruits and veggies, limited sweets, limited highly processed snacks, desserts fairly infrequently, etc.), but we're making even more of an effort to make the best choices possible.

The more you read, the more you know. Josh is reading Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, a doctor who has survived his brain cancer for 15+ years by what he attributes to a healthy diet and lifestyle (in addition to typical Western medicine) - a change he made only after he was initially diagnosed. We all have cancer cells in our bodies that we're continuously fighting off, but some of us are unable to continue waging the war successfully. Tumors grow and cancer spreads. We are also hearing more reports about the dangers of canned food and heating foods in plastics (BPAs), too much folic acid (in cereals) and other such dietary risks.

Makes it pretty hard to find the right food to eat. But we're trying...and feeling much better for the healthy choices we're making.

So on our grocery list this weekend:
1. Christopher eggs (660mg Omega-3 Egg, the highest level of any all natural egg available in US)

2. Organic crackers for snacking (no sugar, no bad oils and no trans fat)

3. Oikos yogurt (all natural with no added sugar)

4. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, the edible skins of which we wash with a combination of vinegar and lemon juice.

5. Mediterranean pizza with tomatoes, red onions, olive oil, spinach, etc., on a flax seed crust.

6. Sugar free bread and even experimenting with some flourless breads.

7. Frozen vegetables. Canned green beans in particular are the worst at absorbing dangerous levels of BPA.

We're also trying to be much smarter about where we go when we go out and what we eat when we're there. Josh is such a regular at the local Greek restaurant, Deno's Grill, that the owner knows him on site and is keeping a bottle of olive oil with Josh's name on it to use for his Greek salads instead of the typical vegetable oil.

The traditional American diet (which other "Westernized" countries have unfortunately adopted as well) is very likely contributing to not only rampant obesity, but increased incident of cancer.

Josh is certainly doing his part to fight his cancer from all angles and his family is certainly benefiting from this change as well. After his second round of chemo, it's taken Josh two fewer days to feel good again (only 4 days total downtime this round compared to 6+ last time). Some of that is do to a modified drug plan, but I'm convinced that some of it is also due to his modified eating habits.

Here's to a new way of eating!