Sunshine, Water, Rest, Air, Exercise, and Diet

First day of Chemo went well. All of the nurses were extremely nice and every one of them left saying, "Is there anything else I can get you." The rest of the day my appetite and energy levels were amazing. I would probably contribute that to the dexamethasone (IV steroid) they gave me in addition to the chemo. They also gave me IV benadryl, which knocked me out for a few hours on the couch.

Last night Patrick cooked up a cashew curry coconut crusted chicken with green beans and red potatoes. I was very impressed! I forgot to take a picture, but it looked and tasted amazing! I guess as long as I buy the ingredients and provide a recipe, that boy could make anything!

Day 2: I had some trouble sleeping, mostly because my mind was else where and did not want to rest. My appetite is fair today, forcing myself to eat good foods is not a problem, since I love fruits and veggies and so far I have not had any change in taste buds and no nausea:). My energy level is fair. I plan to walk a mile or two with my son Liam and my dog B-man later today. 

"The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling."
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

A Personal Note...

I want to apologize to all of my (4 and then some) blog followers. I am not much of a writer, in fact, my husband often has to proof read my blogs, because my grammatical errors are atrocious. So please forgive me now, because I am not letting him proof read this before I post:). He is sleeping!

I woke up this morning (4:45am), feeling the need to share a more personal journey; my friend Marni has been telling me to share as a dietitian and friend, in order to relate to my patients and clients more. You can check out Marni's blog at http://trimarni.blogspot.com/. She is amazing and even though I am a registered dietitian has tought me so much about nutrition and exercise!

Today I start chemo, yep that is right, Chemotherapy, the stuff that makes you feel like $%^& and possibly makes your hair fall out.  First I need to inform everyone that I do not have cancer, but a rare form of lupus, lupus nephritis. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disorder that may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other orders. In my case, lupus nephritis, the lupus attacks my kidneys. There are many forms of treatment for lupus, such as nonsteroidal anti-imflammatory drugs (ex: advil/motrin), antimalarial drugs, corticosteroids, and in rare, more serious cases, cytoxan treatments (chemotherapy). I like to think that God thought I was STRONG enough to handle the rare, more serious case of lupus! 

As a dietitian and health care professional, I thought it would be interesting to share my journey with lupus and what it is like to go through cytoxan chemotherapy treatments. AND seeing as I am a dietitian, I figure it would be wise to share with you all the foods I can and cannot eat and how the side affects play a role on my nutrition. I will also share about my exercise routine, the people I meet, the care I received, and how I am striving to be a great mom and wife, even when I am not feeling well!

Day 1-August 23, 2011:
I have my first treatment this morning at 8:30am. I did cytoxan chemo before, when I was 17. Because I was a pediatric (child), I was admitted inpatient and at the time (1997) the treatment recommendation was a much longer/drawn out process (once a month for 6 months and then once every 3 months for 3 years). Today I am an adult, and apparently somewhere along the way somebody said adults do not like to look at colorful painted walls with rainbows and fun farm animals, and white walls would be more appropriate. BORING!

My treatment this time will be done at an infusion site, which is often at a hematology/oncology clinic. The treatment takes a little over an hour.  I get my own recliner and , my own t.v., my own nurse, my own IV pole, and my own white wall to stare at! Also, in the attempt that I would be too tired to cook this week, (and because of my OCD behavior), I planned out meals (easy enough) for my husband to cook. He is a great cook and really knows how to make the kitchen look like a bomb went off:), but he always seems to make the kitchen look spotless when he is done. My husband is amazing! Our 5 year anniversary is this Friday!!  I will leave you with a cute story: One of our songs is Forever and Ever, Amen, by Randy Travis. There is a line in the song he sings to me: "They say time takes it's toll on a body, makes a young girl's brown hair turn gray. Well, honey I don't care, I ain't in love with your hair, and if it all fell out, well I'd love you anyway." AND he still loves me:).

Vegan Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

I have a hard trouble following a recipe (as my husband knows). I love to be creative with food! AND what a better challenge for a dietitian, but to try to make it more nutritious and TASTE great! I have tried and tried to make vegan cinnamon rolls healthier and actually rise, but have never been able to master them, until now! I am sure my vegan friends will enjoy these! 

Vegan Whole wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

·         ¾ cup non-dairy milk-I used original flavored almond milk

·         1 packet active yeast

·         Mix together 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 1 cup white flour

·         1 tbsp baking powder

·         ¼ cup raw sugar

·         2 tsp cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         1 mashed banana (or about 6-7 tbsp)/may also use 6-7 tbsp apple sauce

·         2 tbsp molasses

·         2 tbsp agave nectar

·         2 tbsp raisins (Or other dried fruit, such as cranberries or  dried apples)

·         ¼ cup walnuts (Or other nuts, such as almonds, pecans, etc)

·         1/2 cup confectioners sugar

·         3 tsp lemon juice (optional)

·         1 tsp non-dairy milk-again used almond milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a circular cake pan or baking sheet and set aside. Gently warm 3/4 cup non-dairy milk to about 110 degrees. Sprinkle yeast over warmed non-dairy milk and let it dissolve, about 5 minutes. Combine 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 salt in a large bowl. Add 5 tbsp banana or applesauce and yeast mixture, stirring spatula to combine. Add in another 1/2 cup flour, stirring to combine. Sprinkle remaining flour on a flat surface and knead dough, kneading in most of the flour. Knead about 15-20 times. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough out into large, thin rectangle and set aside. Prepare filling by combining 2 tbsp molasses, 2 Tbsp Agave nectar with 1 tbsp banana or unsweetened applesauce, 1 tsp cinnamon, chopped walnuts (almonds or pecans), and raisins. Spoon filling in the center of the dough and spread it around, leaving 1" edge clear. Gently but tightly roll the dough up. Use a pizza cutter, sharp knife or string to cut off 6 rolls. Place rolls in a warm dry place/cover with clean towel and let sit for one hour to rise. After one hour, place into prepared cake pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare icing by mixing 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 3 tsp lemon (optional), and 1 tsp non-dairy milk, whipping until it becomes a thick glaze with no sugar chunks. Spread glaze over hot buns! YUM!

Healthier Menu Options for Children!

As a young child, my parents never let me order from the "kids" menu and I very seldom could choose chicken nuggets and french fries as my main course. I usually had to split items with my parents or siblings, and it always had to have a vegetable! I can remember one instance, where my younger sister wanted to order the adult size hamburger and french fries. My dad stated, "if you can eat it all, you can have it". It was hard to watch my 50 lb sister try to eat a whole hamburger from the adult menu! She could not finish and I am glad! Today we often find that the kids portion sizes are the same sizes as the adult portions, and they exceed well over 1000 calories a meal! An active 6 year old child needs 1200 calories at sedentary activity level, 1400 calories for moderate activity, and 1600 calories for an active child!

Healthier Children's Menu Requirements: 
The healthier menu options will have a heart next to the item, contain less than 600 calories, contain a side that is less than 200 calories, offer increased amounts of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and low-fat dairy, and contain less fats, sodium, and sugar! Great day for kids health! 

Chain restaurants committed: 
Au Bon Pain
Bonefish Grill
Burger King
Burgerville
Carraba's Itatlian Grill
Chevy's
Chili's
Corner Bakery Cafe
Crackr Barrel
Denny's
El Pollo Loco
Friendly's
IHOP
Joe's Crab Shack
Outback Steakhouse
Silver Diner
Sizzler
T-Bones Great American Eatery
ZPizza

Read the full story at www.Thefranchisehound.com

Healthyeater Kale and White Bean soup

Ingredients: 

2 cups chopped fresh kale
2 Tsp olive oil
½ cup diced celery

1 small diced yellow or white onion
1 clove garlic diced fine
1 cup diced carrots
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes OR 1 -14 oz can low sodium diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth OR homemade vegetable broth (see recipe below)
½ Tsp salt
½ Tsp pepper
2 Bay Leaves
1 can Navy beans or any white bean drained OR 1/2 cup dried beans (If you use dried beans, soak them in water over night prior to cooking)
1 Tsp chopped fresh or dried basil (I used fresh-very easy to grow)

Add 2 Tsp olive oil to medium-high heat stock pot.  Add celery and onions and sauté until opague.
Add in diced garlic and carrots. Saute for 1-2 mintues. Add 2 cups tomatoes and sauté for another 2-3 mintues. Pour in vegetable stock, navy beans, 2 bay leaves, chopped basil, salt, pepper, and Kale. Mix together. Simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours. Remove bay leaves and enjoy a healthy, low sodium, bowl of soup that is jammed packed with nutrients!

Homemade vegetable broth: 

Save ALL vegetable scraps from the week in an airtight container in the fridge. At the end of the week fill a 4 qrt stock pot with 3-4 cups water and the vegetable scraps, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. You can also use a low sodium vegetable bouilion cube for added flavor. I use Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon cubes. Remove vegetable scraps using a strainer over a heat resistant bowl to catch the broth. 

I am not sure you can get more nutrients from a soup and you will feel great that you did not waste any of the nutrients from those leftover vegetable scraps! Enjoy! 

Tips for Pickey Eaters

Is your child a picky eater? Does your child only want to eat chicken nuggets and Spagghetios? I often get this concern from parents. I can now admit that it isn't a piece of cake to spoon feed a 6 month old, while getting dinner prepared for the rest of the family. Why on earth would I want to make 3 different meals for everyone! Growing up in my family there was one meal for dinner, and we either ate it or sat there and watched everyone eat it. We learned to enjoy the hard work and appreciate a good healthy home cooked meal! Whatever the meal was, we always had a fresh green salad on the table and surprisingly I still love salad and continued the tradition. On birthdays and special occasions my parents let us pick out our favorite meal. My favorite meal was london broil with asparagus and red potatoes. YUM! Here are some great tips for your picky eaters!

1. Be patient when introducing a new food. Children can have food adversions and taste changes, so don't give up the first time! I remember the first time I tried sushi I was not a big fan and now I love it!

2. Mealtime routines: set regular times and do not offer snacks one hour before meals. You want hungry tummies coming to the table!

3. Get sneaky! Make casseroles with veggies mixed in!

4. Let your child help you shop, prepare, and help cook! Children want to help, and what a better way to get them excited about food, and get them in the kitchen.

5. DON'T use dessert as a reward! Desert should also be a special occasion! Your kids too will learn to be satisfied with the meal itself.

6. Mealtimes and snack times should be fun! Kids love to nibble and especially love to dip, so make some snacks trays with healthy bite-sized treats.

7. Set good examples with your own eating habits. Your children are making sure you eat your veggies!

8. Teach your children about the benefits of fruits and vegetables! For example: carrots contain vitamin A and beta-carotene that help you maintain good eye health; broccoli contains calcium, which help you build strong bones.

Images obtained from microsoft clip art.

One Step Closer to Teaching Our Children about the Important Role of Nutrition

I found this article (Home Away From Home: http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442463092) to be most helpful to new moms that might be researching child care programs or already have their child in a program. The article discusses child care programs as a "home away from home" and "where our children adopt early nutrition-related behaviors". With today's economy and both parents working, child care is utilized by more families in the US, therefore they have a huge influence in our child's food choices and future health.

It is already a known fact that child obesity is becoming an epidemic and that 1/3 of our nations children are carrying too much weight. Our children our watching us eat!! I appreciated the statement..."Young children appear more likely than older children to be influenced by adults in an eating environment".

You can read the full article at http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442463092

As a registered dietitian and health care professional, it is my role to educate the community on the importance of nutrition and especially the role we plays as adults in our children's future health. If you or anyone would like for me to come speak (for free) at your child care program, school, or after school care please contact me at Laura.backtobalance@gmail.com.

Fun Breakfast Ideas for the Whole Family

Believe it or not, there is more to breakfast than cereal! Here are just a few fun and balanced breakfast ideas your kids will love!

1. Whole grain waffles: Make some home made whole grain waffles, wrap them individually in freezer bags, and store them in the freezer for the week! When you are ready to eat them, Stick 1 in the toaster, jazz it up with some berries, and top it off with some low fat vanilla yogurt (Greek is my favorite and loaded with protein!). Check out this yummy whole grain waffle recipe at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/honeyed-yogurt-mixed-berries-with-whole-grain-waffles-10000000671034/.

2. Power up with oatmeal: Does your oatmeal taste like cardboard? Well it doesn't have to! There are endless possibilities- change it up with a tsp of honey or peanut butter, or a dollop of greek yogurt, handful of walnuts or almonds, dried fruit, bananas, chopped apples. I never get bored with oatmeal!

3. Egg white breakfast sandwich/burrito: This is one of my favorites!

Take 1 egg white OR 3 tbsp all natural eggs whites (found at local grocery store). Grease a ramekin or custard cup with non-stick cooking spray. Poor in egg whites. Cook on high in microwave for 1 minute-times may very depending on microwave. Cut a whole grain english muffin in half and toast. Place cooked egg whites and 1 slice of low fat cheddar cheese. Pair it up with a 1/2 cup or small piece of fruit and some low fat yogurt-YUM! And if you hit snooze one too many times, wrap in foil and brown bag it up with some low fat yogurt and 1/2 a banana. Change it up with a whole grain tortilla wrap and some salsa to make a breakfast burrito!

4. Smoothies: My nephews and I love making smoothies together! Smoothies are packed with vitamins, minerals, and a great start to the day!! Give your blender some love!

Try this recipe:

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1 cup low-fat milk OR 1 cup low fat plain greek yogurt

2 tsp honey OR agave nectar

2 cups ice

Mix in blender and ENJOY!

You can also use frozen fruit or seasonal fruit to save money!

Supplement Review: Juice Plus®

Recently I was asked about the supplement Juice Plus®. Juice Plus® number one claim is that it is "the next best thing to fruits and vegetables", leading the consumer to believe that these pills are "closer to real fruits and vegetables than is likely to be the case"-says Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI also explained that the labels indicate that the capsules contain high levels of vitamins A and C and folate naturally, and do not disclose that these vitamins and minerals are added to the capsules during processing.”(1) Very deceiving! Recently Airborne made false claims that the supplement cures and prevents colds. Airborne is now under a 23 million class action law suit and the CSPI would like to do the same with Juice Plus®.

The fact is that supplements in the US are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and there is little to no viable research. It is a great money making industry and often can be very deceptive. Then how do we know? A few great websites to find more information on supplements are http://www.nsf.org/certified/dietary/ andhttp://ods.od.nih.gov/. While it is true that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers (2), the research completed never considered or used juice sweetened cookies, crackers , or gummy chews made from dehydrated fruit and vegetables (2). JuicePlus® claims that one pill contains your daily intake of fruits and vegetables in compact form. Is this sound? We would like to believe that we can shrink 3-5 servings of all the amazing antioxidants, vitamins, minerals that are found in whole fruits and vegetables into 2 little capsules! There is nothing natural about this process! No pun intended!

Another benefit from eating whole fruits and vegetables is fiber! Juice and pill form supplements contain little to no fiber. Research conducted at the Institute of Medicine shows our bodies need 20-30 gms of fiber daily. Our main source of fiber comes from whole fruits and vegetables consumed in our diet. A high fiber diet has been proven to prevent cardiovascular disease, and possibly other forms of cancer (2).

Conclusion and lesson for the day: A vitamin/mineral supplement should never replace eating whole fruits and vegetables!

A side note on fruits and vegetables with children:
As parents we want our children to eat fruits and vegetables and some of us are looking for ways to “sneak” fruits and vegetables into meals in order for them to get their servings of fruits and vegetables. And not to mention some of us are supplementing our child’s diet with dehydrated fruit/vegetable crackers, cookies, or supplement chews that looks like candy teddy bears replacing or counting these as fruits and vegetable servings. We have underestimated the benefits of whole fruits and vegetables! We have put such a negative spin on fruits and vegetables! Why not teach our children the truth about all the benefits that whole fruits and vegetables can provide! Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable at the grocery store or farmers market next time, find a recipe, get in the kitchen, and COOK with your kids!

References:
1. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/12_07/special.pdf
2. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=339
3. http://www.nsf.gov/
4. http://ods.od.nih.gov/