Cook To Heal!
So many people are being diagnosed with cancer. While, there are all sorts of treatments available, many of these treatments tend to be not only pricey but very taxing on the body. Many people wisely choose to go back to basics and focus on changing their diet. However, this can be very overwhelming and exhausting.
Cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatments, suffer from a host of nutritional issues. Fatigue, loss of appetite, taste changes, mouth sores, and other side effects can make meal time more stressful than enjoyable. However, with the right recipes, patients can enjoy healthy, easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals made of foods that are easy to chew, swallow, and digest—and combat their symptoms at the same time. In The Meals to Heal Cookbook, Susan Bratton, the founder of Savor Health, and Jessica Iannotta, an oncology nutritionist, provide 150 nutritionally balanced recipes to nourish patients during their fight with cancer. The recipes are organized by meal, as well as by cancer treatment side effect, allowing readers to easily find meals suited to their particular health needs. Many recipes can be completed in less than thirty minutes for patients and caregivers who are short on time or simply exhausted
In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Susan Bratton will about her best-selling book, The Meals to Heal Cookbook: 150 Easy, Nutritionally Balanced Recipes to Nourish You During Your Fight with Cancer! To listen to the interview, press play on the video below.
Blueberry Green Nut Butter Smoothie
Time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
This is a great introduction to a green smoothie because the sweetness from the banana and dates and the creaminess from the peanut butter help mellow the flavor of the leafy greens. Green smoothies are especially good if you have a lack of appetite because they provide a lot of nutrition in just a few sips.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup leafy greens, such as spinach
or kale
1 tablespoon peanut butter or
any nut butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 medium-size frozen or
fresh ripe banana, sliced
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup ice
Directions:
1. Place all the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Nutritional Analysis: Calories 413, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 3 g,
Cholesterol 9 mg, Sodium 203 mg, Carbohydrates 76 g, Dietary Fiber 11 g, Protein 13 g
Southwestern Veggie Burgers with Avocado Cilantro Mayo
Time: Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 15 minutes Serves 6
This is a bright and colorful alternative to the more brown-colored, grain- based veggie burgers, but equally satisfying. In addition to, or instead of, the avocado mayo, try topping them with salsa and Jack cheese; or enjoy just as they are hot off the pan. If sensitive to spice, omit the hot sauce and reduce the garlic in the avocado mayo. Leftover avocado cilantro mayo tastes great when spread over warm corn bread, added to homemade burritos and tacos, or drizzled over roasted potatoes.
Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, diced
1/2 medium-size red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh, frozen, or canned corn (thawed if using frozen, drained if using canned)
1 medium-size jicama, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1/2 cup salsa
6 slices Jack cheese
6 buns
For the avocado cilantro mayo
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
cilantro
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce, or more to
taste
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime
juice
Salt
1. In a large bowl or food processor, mash three quarters of the beans. This should not be a puree, but more of a mush so you should still see some parts of the beans. Once done, add the remaining beans to this mush and mix together.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until it starts to soften.
3. Add the bell pepper, corn, and jicama and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes,
until the jicama begins to soften. Season with salt and black pepper
to taste.
4. Remove from the heat and add to the beans. Add the panko and fold in the salsa until everything is combined.
5. Divide the mixture into six equal parts and form patties.
6. Wipe the skillet clean. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat and cook the patties on one side until golden, for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip carefully and cook until golden, for another 2 to 3 minutes. Top the burgers with the cheese in the last minute of cooking.
7. Make the avocado cilantro mayo: Mash together the avocado, cilantro, yogurt, garlic, hot sauce, lime juice, and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
8. To serve, place the patties in the buns and top with the avocado cilantro mayo.
Nutritional Analysis (burgers): Calories 424, Total Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Sodium 439 mg, Carbohydrates 49 g, Dietary Fiber 6 g, Protein 15 g
Nutritional Analysis (avocado cilantro mayo): Calories 67, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 1 mg, Sodium 49 mg, Carbohydrates 4 g, Dietary Fiber 2 g, Protein 2 g
Excerpt from The Meals to Heal Cookbook: 150 Easy, Nutritionally Balanced Recipes to Nourish You During Your Fight with Cancer by Susan Bratton and Jessica Iannotta. Copyright © 2016. Available from Da Capo Press, an imprint of Perseus Books, a division of PBG Publishing, LLC, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc