The Anti-Cancer Trio....GREEN, RED and SPICY!

I can't sleep tonight, something that often happens when I have a flight.  Tomorrow I am off for the Colorado mountains and a 5-day Wise Woman retreat training....I am thinking this should have happened long ago, but better late than never.  I intend to revive, renew, resuscitate, reflect and record it all in my journal....and come home in one week a much wiser woman! 

The facilitator has been more than accommodating about my diet.  Many emails have been exchanged and it would seem that any food I requested will be there when I arrive, fantastic!  However, I always travel with my spicy nuts and seeds - they are packed and this time I am also taking a bag of Chia seeds and my favorite prunes from Trader Joe's.  They will have the almond milk...I'm just a bit picky about my prunes!   She is very excited to have me share recipes and I am always happy to do that, so it should be a great week.

If you haven't heard the latest finding, spicing up your broccoli with horseradish or wasabi greatly increases the anti-cancer properties, as the two synergistically combine forces.   Led by a researcher from the University of Illinois, the study was very definitive, even to how long the broccoli was to be cooked - steamed for no more than 3-4 minutes in order to preserve the anti-cancer nutrients lost with over-cooking (raw, even better).

The research was extremely impressive and I have been wanting to  convert my delicious balsamic dressing recipe, but until now, have not taken the time.  I decided now was the perfect time to prepare the perfect salad for my flight tomorrow.  I changed nothing in my original recipe, except I skipped the garlic for seatmate sensibilities, and added 1 T of horseradish.....deeeeeelicious!

I call this "The Anti-Cancer Trio", because not only did I combine the broccoli with the horseradish and cayenne, but I also garnished it with dried tomatoes that are high in lycopene, another potent anti-cancer food.  Please give it a try....you won't be sorry you did!

The Anti-Cancer Trio

Clean and cut into bite-size pieces, one bunch of organic broccoli.  Peal the stems and slice (no need to waste, the inner core is crisp and tasty!).  Steam for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat and drain.

Balsamic Dressing with a BANG!

¼ c + 1 T balsamic vinegar

¼ c olive oil

¼ c flax oil

2 T agave or pure maple syrup

1 T Dijon mustard
1T horseradish

1 T miso, golden

1garlic clove, pureed (use microplane)

1 t turmeric

Pinch of cayenne

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in large measuring cup (or a blender)  and whisk together until thick and creamy.  Garnish broccoli with sliced dried tomatoes, drizzle a little dressing over all.....and that's it!  The dressing will keep for days covered in the fridge and you will have taken a step toward cancer-proofing your life!

 The Anti-Cancer Trio Salad

Santé, To Your Health!
Sue
www.santetoyourhealth.org
http://about.me/suecarteransari

 

A Green Smoothie Reunion!

Later today I will be driving across the Canadian border to meet my friend, Rosemary, with the most appropriate gift, a large green smoothie!  I can hardly wait to see her - it's been nearly seven months since we had our raw month.  A lot has happened, but I have to say, I have not gained back any of the weight I lost during that month and in fact, have even lost more.

I apologize for not posting sooner, but it has been seven months of introspection, trying to figure out exactly what I need and want to do with the rest of my life.  The programs were all in place in my mind, but how to make them all mesh coherently was my challenge.

Early summer, late Spring, I received a message on Facebook from an old nursing classmate who asked if I might consider coming to Montana in August to present a helping of both my food and  laughter.  It sounded like a bit much to me, but after much thought, I decided it was a novel and challenging idea.

Shortly before my time to leave for Montana, a 35-year-old cousin was diagnosed with a very rare and deadly cervical cancer.  Her emails, phone calls and text messages, asking questions, pleading for guidance and assurance, plus my classmate's insistence that I make a trip to Montana, suddenly solidified everything in my mind and my new program was born, CANcer-Proof Your Life.  Within two weeks my website www.cancer-proofyourlife.com  was complete and two six-week programs were booked!

Montana welcomed me with open arms, along with a sense of belonging and purpose I have not felt in a very long time.  The first morning there, my friend pulled out her Vita-Mix and began packing it with fruits and greens.  I didn't turn up my nose, but I have to be honest when I say, the idea of green smoothies has never been high on my lists of "must-have's" for breakfast, despite knowing what tremendous health benefits they have and preaching those benefits to others.  Along with my friends, green smoothies were breakfast fare every morning I was in Montana....and within days, I could feel my pants getting looser, my skin getting softer and my energy increasing.  Thus, my love affair with green smoothies began!

I find I do NOT need a fresh coconut smoothie to start my day, although I still love them; the green smoothie is what I literally lust after and cannot live without. It gives me a bigger burst of energy than my Starbucks grande non-fat latte ever did, plus my pants are literally falling off, my skin is soft and glowing, I walk every day without fail and I feel great!  Who would have ever thought that I would be making a green smoothie for myself at 11PM?!

I have converted some of my salad recipes to create savory green smoothies, incorporating as many ingredients with high anti-cancer properties as possible in the mix....all have been delicious.  As a result, the appearance and appreciation of green smoothies has taken an even greater role in the CANcer-Proof Your Life program and has even become its own program, TheHighOctaneCleanse!

 Rosie's Green Smoothie

 YES, You CAN!

Here's to Rosie, Montana and my cousin, Sara, who all guided me toward my very own green smoothie reboot and revolution - an even better way to easily cancer-proof my life and you, yours!


Santé. . . To Your Health!
Sue

http://about.me/suecarteransari