Neurofibromatosis and Green Juice

Posted on November 29, 2011 at 11:40pm

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I was moved this week when I read an article written by my friend's sister. I wanted to use my blog this week to share it with you for two main reasons.

First, I wanted to give some publicity to the rare condition of Neurofibromatosis as it is something that many of us know nothing about. Briefly, it affects 1 in 3,000 children and causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body including the brain and spine and can cause a series of other significant health issues. They range from serious skeletal abnormalities, to endocrine issues, to difficult-to-treat cancers. Much is not understood.

Tracy Wirtanen, the author of the article I read, and my friend's sister, is the mother of an 8-year-old boy, Sami, who is diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis. You can read her blog here, where she wrote as a guest on Kriss Carr's website crazysexylife.com and you can find out more information about Neurofibromatosis at the website of the foundation she created at www.littlesttumorfoundation.com

Secondly, in her article, Tracy talks about the changes she and her family have chosen to make with regard to their nutrition, both for Sami and the other members of her family. She talks about the fact that Sami drinks green juice every day, and loves it, he even asks for it! I bring this up, because it highlights something that can get forgotten when we talk about juicing. This stuff is really good for you, at a cellular level. There is a real theraputic benefit in drinking vegetable and fruit juice. Our bodies can use the nutrients provided by the juice to both prevent future tumour growth, and help the body deal heal itself.

Yes, juice is a great vehicle to boost health and vitality, and help us to clean our systems when we have overindulged, but there is a more serious side to its benefits as well. If incorporating it into your diet will allow your body to battle cancer tumours, or give your body the tools it needs to prevent them developing in the first place, then what an incredible gift you can give to yourself, and your children every day! The gift of good health!

For those of you with juicers, then try the following Green Juice recipe, packed full of antioxidants, chlorophyll and good health.

Green Delight

3 kale stalks

1/4 pineapple (not peeled)

1 apple

1/2 piece ginger (not peeled)

1 stick celery

1/2 lime (not peeled)

Pack the kale into the juicer chute, and put the apple on top, then whizz every thing through the juicer. If you want to add some extra nutrients, then add a spoonful of spirulina to the juice and blend it with some ice.

Please do click on the link to both Tracy's article and her foundations website, she is doing terrific work to educate us about this potentially devastating disease.

If nothing else, give Tracy, Sami and her family a thought or a prayer over the coming weeks, and if you are lucky enough, be thankful for you and your families good health.

Happy Juicing,

Jx

http://millburn.patch.com/blog_posts/neurofibromatosis-and-green-juice

Spork Foods Interview

Spork Foods: Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg

Q1

You two have become famous as vegan sisters who teach how to make fun and

delicious vegan food. How did you get started on this cooking path, and why did

you start Spork Foods?

A:

Jenny: I became a vegan in college with the connections I made about the

environment and food choices. Initially, it really began out of immediate necessity,

as at that time there were not a lot of vegan food products out there and it

prompted me to begin cooking and loving it. We always really wanted a sister

business and so as we came to the same realizations about food on separate

paths, it ultimately led to Spork. We love empowering people to cook and

eat fun and easy foods and the best way we know how is through classes.

Heather: It began with a bit of empowering people to take their health into their

own hands and impact animal suffering.

Q2

What do you love about vegan cooking?

A:

Heather: A lot! It makes us feel good that we make three choices a day about

what we put in our body. It impacts the earth, animals, and our health.

Jenny: It is a fun challenge to make tasty food. I am able to be creative and make

healthier options.

Q3

What are the top three most popular dishes/recipes from your book or cooking

classes?

A:

1. Mac-n-Cheese: It was 4 years in the making. It is a go-to recipe that is a great

comfort food in fall and winter.

2. Crunchy Peanut Butter Bonbons: They make people happy.

3. Seitan Wellington: It is designed for the holidays made vegan style.

Q4

Because we focus on children, in your opinions, what are the must-have

ingredients for a healthy family vegan pantry?

A:

1. Nutritional yeast: Sprinkle on popcorn and salads for good flavor.

2. Miso makes soup fast, is immune boosting, fights infection, and there are

probiotics in it. It is a staple in our pantry.

3. Fruits and vegetables, of course!

4. Kids love quinoa with chopped veggies.

5. Tortillas are great to wrap around everything, especially butternut squash

enchiladas.

Q5

What effect has vegan eating had on your lifestyle? What are the health benefits

of being a vegan?

A:

Heather: I lost 20 pounds without trying or knowing it and have stayed at my

ideal weight. I had high cholesterol and it is now perfect.

Jenny: I have a lot of energy that comes from eating good food. It is really amazing

energy and I sleep so well at night. I also no longer feel guilt about foods I eat. It

changed our lives. We are able to live out our dream with a purpose. I feel very

lucky being able to do what we love.

Q6

What is your all-time favorite recipe you have created?

A:

Fettuccine Alfredo! We crave it on a weekly basis. It is creamy from cashews and

has a satisfying quality.

Q7

What does the future hold for Spork Foods?

A:

We are working on refining the Spork online classes. We want to get the word

out to the world. We have tons of content already with 19 classes. We want to

expand our website. We have many tricks up our sleeves.