natural girls

Julia, so glad you're home and already on the mend.  Now you're home and it's the season for miracles and you have so much to be grateful for.  Kick back, take it easy, and enjoy what's left of this year.  Then have a great big giant mountain of fun making that baby! 

Patty, don't envy your task one bit.  Has anyone opted for a virtual colonoscopy?  

Anon!  I'm missing socks, keys and other things.  Now you have me thinking!

Sherry, thanks. I hope I don't have it either. I heard the treatment is awful!

I forgot to mention that the surgery center gave me a carnation to take home. I asked "is that from the doctor since he violated me? He could have taken me to dinner first!

Patty

ROFL... Patty, I'm glad it's over but geesh, I agree he could have taken you to a candlelight dinner before that!!! 

MBJ ~ I agree with not driving ourselves crazy over an occasional glass of wine, or, as vivre pointed out a couple of days ago, a Christmas cookie or two.  However, there was a recent observational study that concluded that wine is still a no-no for women with hormone sensitive bc and especially ILC.  I love and miss not drinking wine, but this recent article still echos in my head, and I think it's one to be aware of if your bc was hormone sensitive or ILC, as mine was:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198810.php

Deanna

PS ~ FYI, the nutritionist at UCLA phrases it.... "If you're going to drink, be sure it's for a wedding or something really important, and then limit it to one glass of champagne."

ARGH!!!!   I love wine AND martinis :-(((

I'm feeling like a grinch today!  I have proscrastination as ENOUGH of an obstacle to overcome, and I just don't need anything else to stand in my way!  My tradition for holiday giving for many years now has been baking cookies.  I haven't found a way around the sugar, but I do make efforts to improve on the other ingredients.  I've tried two recipes using spectrum shortening instead of butter.  The molasses cookies were sort of ok -- crispy instead of soft and chewy.  The other recipe which requires rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters -- diaster!!  grrrr   The dough is wayyy too dry. 

Oh well, I told myself last year that I need to do something besides cookies for gifts.  This must be the celestial confirmation of that.  Unfortunately, I have no Plan B. 

Althea,

I'm going on a hunger strike until you start making your cookie gifts again.

This is part of who you are and you're good at it. It gives you pleasure! It gives other people pleasure. People are going to eat cookies whether you make them for them or not so they might as well come from a person who bakes with love. Consider yourself a cookie therapist.

You may have to sign your posts, Althea, CTh.

xo

Anon

Althea, what about either grass-fed butter or organic coconut oil instead of factory-farm butter? Either would be much healthier and have good cancer-fighting nutrients, and obviously you wouldn't have to sacrifice texture or flavor!  

Althea, (and everyone),

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I have been very fortunate to find a wellness center in my area that has provided me with most of my information and did all my blood tests for D3, iodine, estrogen, progesterone, etc. Then we sat down together and decided what I needed to do to balance or increase or decrease what was out of whack...I also have found tons of info on the internet. I knew nothing about breast cancer or the treatments for it until after my diagnosis. Yes, I knew it existed...all the pink ribbons, etc. but never dreamed it would effect me. I do believe stress can be a factor as someone has mentioned. Stress causes your body to be acidic and that allows cancers to grow. Diet and Vitamin C, D3, B12, iodine and balancing hormones will make your body alkaline and cancers can't grow in an alkaline environment. I had my first glass of wine at my husband's Christmas party this week and the Christmas cookies are good...but I really don't crave sweets now that my diet is better. I read all of your stories and do enjoy them so much. All of you have such positive attitudes and friendly interaction...Thank you again for letting me join in every once in awhile.

About the wine drinking.  I admit I am still enjoying an occassional glass of Shiraz.  Dr.Servan-Schreiber in his Anticancer book says that he thinks future studies will show that red wine is beneficial (resveritrol sp?).  He says if you do drink, it should be red wine and only with a meal to prevent glycemic spike. 

Thanks for all the support ladies.  For my local people, I decided after my rant this afternoon that I will deliver homemade chicken soup instead of cookies.  Everyone loves chicken soup, right?  Except vegans and vegetarians, and none of my locals are either. 

I have tried the earth balance buttery sticks and was totally pleased with the results.  I did a whole summer of experiments back in 08 and no one could tell the difference between my cookies made with butter and cookies made with earth balance sticks.  Thing is though, the buttery sticks are made from soy, and I'm currently in the not-doing-soy camp.  I have a nephew who's lactose intolerant with lyme disease, so I was willing to try the spectrum shortening.  It's made from palm oil, non hydrogenated, farmed in a sustainable way (hoping the claim on the label is true). 

I'm cookied out for the day and I'm rewarding myself with a glass of wine.  Haven't read that article yet, but I imagine the little bit of alcohol I drink would be a factor.  I have very occasional margaritas or some wine with dinner.  

I sure don't want to give up the measly bit of wine that I drink. Sheesh!

I have already given up drinking milk as a beverage because of the hormones in it (Harvard study), though I have great bones and teeth because of a lifetime of milk drinking.  

I now wear a surgical mask and gloves when I paint (I am an artist) and look ridiculous with my artist friends when we get together for painting sessions. They kid me with "how is the operation coming along?" (Being in contact with chemicals produces xenoestrogens in the body).

I had dinner the other night with the wife of a heart surgeon. As she reached for the drink menu, I piped up " women are not supposed to drink alcohol." Her response: "oh heck they are always coming up with something new that I take everything with a grain of salt.

Glenis

Yum! All of a sudden, I am real hungry. On my way to the fridge.