ON again

Hi Everyone,

After a long (too long) hiatus from juicing, I am ON again.  I picked up my half share from Rawfully Organic co-op last week and thought  I really need to start juicing again.   I had stopped during our move for many reasons (none of them good).  The sound of my Breville was refreshing and brought a smile to my tummy.  The staples for my favorite juices are- ginger, lemon, kale, carrots and cucumbers.  Anything else is a treat.  Today I added blackberries and strawberries and the result was strawberry lemonade.   

Since moving to the west side of Houston, I have been trying out many different grocers and markets.  My favorites: Whole Foods, Costco and Rawfully Organic co-op.  Yes, Whole Foods is expensive, but they have some pretty good sales and you can never go wrong with their meat and produce.  I love what they stand for and their commitment to local farmers and organic.  And a bonus- the employees are kind and helpful.  Costco is another favorite.  They sell organic in bulk and have great, I mean GREAT prices.  And finally, Rawfully Organic www.rawfullyorganic.com .  This co-operative was started in 2007 by a gal on a mission to support her raw way of eating in a budget friendly way.  At Rawfully Organic, volunteers gather every week to sort out what the farmers have grown and divide them evenly into shares.  Orders are placed online to reserve a share and pick up is at various locations around Houston.  My pick up is at Nottingham Forrest Club every Thursday from 4:00-7:00.  It’s a small thrill to see what is in the boxes (every week is different depending on the season).  I pay $48 which I think is a bargain.  Last week my box had: pink lady apples, fuji apples, nectarines, peaches, okra, a pineapple, a watermelon, kale, lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, broccoli, 2 huge zucchini, celery, bananas, roma tomatoes and oranges.  Whew, that is a lot of cancer fighting foods!

Folks, take advantage of the foods we are blessed with in the summer.  What comes from the earth is medicine to our bodiesJ. 

Strawberry Lemonade!

  

My Breville juicer

Yummy juice!

Be Well,

Tour de Pink

Hi Everyone,
The Waltzes need your support.  We will be riding in the 8th annual Tour de Pink in September.  If you know us, you know we take fundraising very serious and only like to raise BIG MONEY.  So, please help us support Pink Ribbons Project.
http://www.tourdepink.org/site/TR?px=1217862&pg=personal&fr_id=1110&et=IfoUfl_AwAxxiotCtnxutw&s_tafId=11163
Be Well,

Il Sole della Toscana

Ciao miei amici,

I recently returned from a much needed respite.  Funny how we don’t realize how stressed our minds and bodies are until we physically escape our present stressors.  After my family’s transitions over the past year, it was no secret that I was emotionally challenged.  And being a cancer survivor, oh my, it's stressful just trying to be stress-free.  Sounds a little crazy, huh?

Off I went with two friends to Europe.  We flew into Paris for a short stay, then made our way to Florence and the Tuscany region of Italy.  My anticancer radar was on (always on), observing the lifestyles of the French and Italians.  My conclusion was this: the French and the Italians get bonus longevity points for socialization, large amounts of vacation time, their faith, walking everywhere and access to local and ‘organique’ food. 

Cafes in Europe seem to always be filled no matter what time of the day with friends and family.  Laughter, wine, amazing food- my friends and I fit right in.  We inquired several times about the food and where it comes from.  Particularly in Tuscany, we were told that food is assumed organic, farms are small and markets are abundant.  Unfortunately, much different from most cities I have been to in America.  At our cooking class in Florence, Chef Barbara told us that their public schools get organic food and kids are served meat only twice a week.  Parents get detailed schedules of what is served and caloric breakdowns.  Wow, we shook our heads as we shared with Barbara, what lunches are like in most American public schools.

The pace of life in Tuscany was refreshing.  At the top of a hill at our hotel Castelletto di Montebenichi, we experienced true rest.  The calm and breathtaking surroundings were just like what you see on postcards.  Surely these folks live long, simply because of their environment.  When I returned to the states, I did an online search of cancer and Tuscany.  I found a place called Post-Cancer Empowerment in Tuscany.  As stated on their website- “Integrative cancer care and psycho-oncology were little known terms a decade ago. Today these approaches have grown in importance as ever more patients claim their right to be considered as something more than just a malfunctioning organism. Cancer survivors deserve emotional support as much as detailed information about possible causes of cancer and the lifestyle changes that could make a difference. No cure is complete without the empowerment of the patient to make informed choices about their life and any aspect of it that has been affected by cancer.”  Hmm, I never considered myself a malfunctioning organism… sounds like a sophisticated way of saying broken body or bad cells gone wild!  In any case, I love, love the focus on empowerment and healthy long term cancer survivorship.  And who wouldn't want their onco to prescribe post-cancer treament in Tuscany.   Ahhhhhh, the life.  On the website for Empowerment in Tuscany, it links Anti-Cancer A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber and Foods to Fight Cancer by Richard Beliveau.  Both of these books are excellent and must haves for your library.  Foods to Fight Cancer also has a cookbook that you can purchase.

I really love getting out of my Houston bubble and learning about other cultures.  It’s humbling and fascinating.  And no matter what country I am in, the people there really love their country with pride, just like we Americans do!   

Voler bene!  and happy socializing for the 4^th of July!

Tuscany

Castelletto di Montebenichi

Walking the streets of Florence, Italy

Morning tea in Florence, Italy