I believe heavily in science, and I also believe the body has some ability to heal itself. To allow for both, I consulted a naturopath who advised me on foods and supplements I could take to keep my body at its healthiest while undergoing chemotherapy.
My naturopath's first recommendation was to become vegan. VEGAN??? I have cancer and now I’m being asked to give up many of the foods that I LOVE?! This was a daunting task and I worried I’d be depriving myself of my favourite things. In the end, there was no contest. If eating differently increased my chances of success I would do it.
My husband is South African and they are notorious for their consumption of meat. Thus, I opted to change only my diet, and not that of the other members in my family. At times this meant making two meals, but if it made the odds of beating cancer greater or helped me feel better throughout chemotherapy, then I was willing to take on the extra work.
Starting small was the key for me. My goal was to eat a plant-based diet for a single meal each day. If I was successful with this, then I would continue adding more plant-based, whole-food meals.
This was and continues to be my go to breakfast. The hardest part was locating all the seeds in the grocery store. After that, it was relatively simple. This breakfast packs in a lot of essential nutrients and minerals in one powerful punch. This website https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-healthiest-seeds#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8 explains the benefits for including seeds in your diet.
Oats & Seeds
½ cup instant oatmeal
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds or flax meal
1 Tbsp coconut oil
⅓ cup fresh fruit
non-dairy milk (Earth’s Own Oat milk is my favourite as it has 4 grams of protein per serving)
Directions: Cook the oatmeal. Add all the remaining ingredients. Bon appétit!
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