A Culinary Connection- A Chef's Advice on Kids Eating Healthy

In keeping with the theme of eating healthy, eating together, let's look at an interview with the chef for our annual family Wellness Retreat, Linda Ott.
Linda cooks nutritious meals for us and naturally, she enjoys cooking as a hobby when not helping others make good dietary choices. Let's look at what she had to say in our December 2011 interview with Linda on how to involve your children and family into cooking.

 Here is an excerpt:

Q) How can parents get their children to integrate healthy food into their diets?

A) Healthy eating should start at birth. The more you expose them to healthy foods, the more likely they will choose to eat healthy. Remember, kids are watching what you eat as well--set the right example. There is a lot of comfort food, it’s truly a mindset of choosing and I think that if you talk to anyone in the healthcare industry there are things a person can do. I think that people aren’t going to change the way they eat, until they are ready to change their eating habits.

Q) What has worked for you to get your children to eat healthy?

A) I raised them the same. My first child was raised on a vegetarian diet until about three when she came to Wisconsin. My 15-year-old has always been an easy-to-please kind of eater. She will try anything and enjoys healthy food--not to say that she doesn't enjoy junk food but if I stock my kitchen with good food, she will choose to eat good food.
My 6-year-old, on the other hand, is my picky eater. As with most kids, her tastes are constantly changing--one week she loves carrots and the next week she won't touch them! We grow a lot of our own veggies in the summer and that seems to help to get her to try the veggies after she has worked so hard to grow them. She also loves to cook with me and here again, if she is involved, she will try it. She has her days, some days I make Mac’ n Cheese but she also eats broccoli. I sometimes have to pick my battles. During the summer she is more likely to eat vegetables because she could see how they grow. I also find that she is more willing to try new things if they are simple--not a lot of sauces or seasoning and she prefers to eat one food at a time so no casseroles for her. I find that when I cook with my daughter she is more willing to try it later.

Q) In closing, what are some tips or even advice to give to people who are trying to eat and cook healthier?

A) The web has made searching for recipes so much easier than scouting through countless cookbooks. From what I have read I have learned that fresh is best, but frozen is the best second choice. When I do my own freezing I do them in servings of four and when it’s for a family or yourself then fresh is the best idea to go.
Take baby steps; don't try to overhaul your diet overnight. Start by adding a new fruit or vegetable each week or every other day. Try practicing Meatless Monday. Whip up a new flavored smoothie each week.

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Whole Food Plant-Based diet challenge results

The seven day whole foods plant-based challenge is over; let’s see how the interns did. Here at LTF, we like to have people to come out of their comfort zones and try something new! They all wrote about their experiences and how they were able to do it. Some of them found the whole foods plant-based challenge easy, while others found it difficult. In the end however, they all felt renewed and more aware of the importance of a healthy diet.

Boyd

As apart of The Littlest Tumor Foundation’s healthy New Year campaign, the interns and I had to go vegan for a week. As a frequent meat eater, I never thought I would be able to go vegan for the seven days. When my week started, the biggest problem I faced was finding food that I would actually enjoy while meeting the vegan standards. After roaming Wal-Mart for a good hour, I finally had a basket full of food and was ready to start my adventure.

The main food that I ate, and did not even realize was vegan, was whole grain spaghetti. Since I frequently work out, spaghetti and other vegetable dishes gave me the carbohydrates and protein I needed to sustain my energy levels. Another difficulty I faced was finding a dish that was vegan when I went out to eat. Two days in, I got extremely hungry and I was not at home to eat the meals I had made. Not knowing what to eat I caved, and ate a meal containing meat. I felt bad afterwards and told myself that I was going to commit to this challenge no matter what. All in all, the seven whole foods plant-based challenge was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I learned how to cook a few healthy and delicious dishes that I will never forget, and at the end of the week I was feeling pretty good.

Kimberly

Journal diary of Vegan Efforts by Kimberly Klessig

Sunday, January 22^nd

I am a Master’s intern for the Littlest Tumor Foundation, and was given a challenge: 7 day plant-based, whole food challenge! I have always been a healthy eater in the past, but was excited to be given this challenge. On the other hand, I was a little uncertain about this specific kind diet. So I began by doing research and was AMAZED to find out what I/we as a society consume on a regular basis. All of the processed food and added ingredients makes our food mixed with all un-natural ingredients. Since today was my first day to start the challenge, I decided first to go do some grocery shopping. I did some research online of recipes and when I went to the store bought a lot of veggies and fruits! My food intake today consisted of a lot of veggies, a veggie burger and a sweet potato.

Saturday, January 28^th

I meet up with some friends for supper tonight. I ended up having a veggie burger. Once again I needed to ask the server for special cooking instructions. One of my friends is a vegetarian (she has ever since her senior year in college). She and I discussed her reasons as to why and she expressed her feelings as to “It just makes me feel better, I feel happy and healthy”. Her positivity was inspiring!

Sunday, January 29th

Today was the last day of the challenge. I have learned a lot in this journey to a new diet! I over all was pleasantly surprised to find I had more energy, felt like I was able to find many options to cook and felt full and not overly stuffed like I sometimes would in eating dairy and meat food options. This challenge opened my eyes to a new way of eating and encourages my efforts to continue this healthy way of eating!

Emily

The Beginning of My Vegantales

This past fall I was offered an internship at the Littlest Tumor Foundation (LTF) based out of Appleton, WI. I had never heard of LTF but I was excited nonetheless. Little did I know my boss, Tracy, is a woman on a mission. She has me performing the regular intern tasks such as thank you cards, cleaning up, and printing labels as well as giving me the opportunity to expand my portfolio and resume. What Tracy has also given me, whether intentional or not, is a whole new perspective of the food I eat everyday. Tracy’s son Sami was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF) a couple years ago. NF is a disease that allows nerve cells in a person’s body to turn into tumors because their tumor suppressor no longer functions correctly. Studies have shown that the growth of these tumors can be halted and even prevented by eating a plant-based diet, also known as vegan.

To educate myself on this disease and vegan lifestyle I was given a few videos to watch: Crazy Sexy Cancer, Forks Over Knives and True Life: I have NF. All of these movies were powerful in their own way but Crazy Sexy Cancer affected me the most. I cried, laughed, cried again, and then felt happy all in a two hour time frame; what I failed to realize at first is that I was also educated. What was I eating every day? Would I really feel better eating a vegan diet? How would those around me react?

One day I decided to answer these burning questions. Monday, December 5, 2011 was the day I started my vegan trial run. I no longer would eat meat, eggs, or dairy products. Basically, anything that comes from an animal is off limits. I would eat veggies, fruit, smoothies packed full of protein and nuts as my diet. I also would take a multivitamin and an iron supplement. The iron supplement is because I am anemic but the multivitamin is to make up for my lack of Vitamin B12. I knew from the beginning that it would be a learning process. I knew that I would mess up, learn about myself and those around me, and test my mental endurance. Here is my story on the transition from a cheese-loving, meat-eating college student to a vegan.

Contrary to what you may think, I am not trying the Vegan lifestyle because of animals. I am not an animal activist; I am doing this for one reason- my health. I will not be a Vegan in every sense of the word- only in my eating habits. Prior to this change, I considered myself a healthy eater. I always got wheat bread, low fat foods, I ate fruits when I could and I gave myself a few “cheat” meals throughout the week. I also exercised like nobody’s business- I run in half marathons and train for them quite vigorously. No matter how “healthy” I was eating, I was still always tired. I would fall asleep studying or feel really awful at random times. I thought it was the life of a normal college student, and maybe it is, but I didn’t like it. I wanted to feel healthier, I wanted to have more energy, and I wanted to control what I was eating. That is why I decided to eat a plant-based diet.

I may not keep this Vegan lifestyle forever or even an extended period of time but I am going to give it a try. The hardest thing for me has been reactions from my family and friends. After telling Tracy, my boss at Littlest Tumor Foundation, that I was trying the Vegan lifestyle she warned me that I would receive some wrath from those around me- she was right. When I first told my boyfriend, Brandon, he didn’t like it one bit. He was worried- worried I wouldn’t eat right, worried I would be unhappy, and worried I would impose it on him. He got plain upset that I was choosing to try Vegan. After a few minutes of banter, we finally came to the conclusion that he wasn’t mad I was going Vegan, he just didn’t understand it. Since I was new (and still am new) I didn’t have all the answers to his questions. What can you eat? What about protein? How can you not eat meat or dairy? Are you getting all the vitamins you need? What about eating out? What about the organic food- that’s expensive right? And the underlying thought- If you expect me to do this, you’re crazy!

My grandmother was also hesitant to the idea when I told her. “That costs way more money,” she said. I knew this would be an issue with a lot of people so I thought long and hard about it. If I have money to spend on jewelry, clothes, hair products, and shoes, I should have the money to invest in my health. What better to sacrifice for than your own physical well-being? I told her yes, Vegan is a more expensive lifestyle but if I am going to invest in something, shouldn’t it be my health?

I know I will be faced with questions and concerns as this comes out to more of my family and friends. I really haven’t told many people, primarily because I don’t want their negativity. Brandon, shortly after our talk, supported my change. He encourages me to keep with it and asks me questions as he is genuinely interested. Not knowing what is in food is something people have become accustomed to- so the fact that I look at labels, ask what is in foods, or opt not to eat something because I don’t know its contents is something totally new to Brandon. I hope that the rest of my family and friends accept this change as well as he has. I guess that is partially why I am writing this blog: to help my family and friends understand, to educate others, and give myself some time for self-reflection.

Cut Preservatives and Preserve Life

The Price of Health in Our Society:

Shopping vegan has completely changed my perspective on the health of society. Every time I go to the store I find myself leaving upset. Why? Well, the selection of vegan foods is very small compared to the non-vegan foods. It is so upsetting to look at cereal and pay up to three times as much for a healthy option. Everything in the organic section is extremely expensive when compared to the regular foods. Also the convenience factor is just not there for vegans. It is possible for me to spend less money on a meal buying vegan but this usually means I have to spend way more time preparing these meals. When I was learning to cook for this new lifestyle, I basically lived in the kitchen as these recipes take time. Of course, they got faster as I learned but they were still much slower than a regular meal. There are very few grab-and-go options for vegans which is a definite struggle in this face-paced world.

This link (click here) shows how much cheaper unhealthy food is compared to healthier options. This is not a vegan comparison but this is the point I am trying to make about how society molds us into buying unhealthy foods.

As you can see, the amount we must spend to buy healthy foods vastly surpasses the amount we spend on unhealthy foods. How can any person, especially in this economy- and with a family- justify spending 2-3 times the amount they could spend. Society is so short-sighted that health is put on the back burner and the amount of money saved is most important. Also, many people can't afford to buy organic foods which forces them to pack their bodies with preservatives. The majority of people feel entitled to cheap foods and products which means that they feel anything “overpriced” is, simply, not worth it. Food venders take advantage of this entitlement and continue to push the limits. They add more and more unhealthy chemicals in order to make products cheaper and, along the way, unhealthier. Someone needs to put their foot down and demand higher standards. I’d say we deserve it.
These “overpriced” foods are what fuel our bodies and give us energy. The amount of preservatives and other chemicals in the cheaper foods is sickening, literally. Think about it, look at our society- the world as a whole is bigger than ever. We are doing less and eating more. We are slow, we are tired and we are, in all honesty, killing ourselves. Disease rates are extremely high, which we try to fix with medications. If we could just go back to the roots of the problem- unhealthy eating- I bet we could fix a lot, not all, but a lot of health problems in people.

Bottom line:
Now I am not here to persuade anyone to take on the Vegan lifestyle. It is a commitment that has to come from your heart- I’m still not 100% there. I just want to make you think about what you are putting in your body. Yes, chips taste great- my personal favorites are Nacho Cheese Doritos- but what do they do for your body? They fill your body with empty calories and little nutrition. Am I saying never eat chips? Absolutely not! I am saying that people need to opt for an apple more times than they do for chips. And the same thinking goes for any other food. I have recently started to read a book called "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. His introduction says it all: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Simple, sweet and to the point. He also said that a little meat and dairy products won't kill anyone, but it should be seen as a side dish instead of a main course. It seems so simple, but yet we all struggle so much.

Mardy

Whole Foods Plant-based diet challenge day #1

So today begins the whole foods plant-based diet challenge with the Littlest Tumor Foundation, for which I am an intern. I looked at my fridge and not much was vegan or could be made vegan. Therefore I had to go and buy $55 worth of whole foods plant-based diet. Okay, so it sounds easy, right? Well, seeing that we are based out of Wisconsin, it's not. Dairy is in many things even my much beloved tortilla chips, so this next week is going to be interesting. I don't stand in any opposition to this, other than the fact that I generally don't have time to do my own cooking. I have two internships and a job that I am at, so the time I have to make all these dishes is greatly diminished. I know this week will go well though, because I do actually like to cook. Today I'm eating pasta with mushrooms, green onions, olives, red pepper relish and pico de gallo (of course!).

The only thing that I wasn't happy about was the fact that I had to give up cookies- many of which have either egg or dairy-based products in them.

Whole Foods Plant-based diet challenge Day#5

It's been five days since I've eaten meat last, but last night I had a BIG issue- going out to eat. So the story goes like this, I offered to take two of my friends, Dane and Jordan, to Wal-Mart for their weekly grocery shopping. In the end, we all tried to figure out what we were going to do later. Then someone mentioned that we should eat out after, my other friend and I agreed. Then it came to cross my mind...what about this challenge? I wondered if I would give into temptation and eat something with meat in it, being that I was used to eating meat at a burger joint. Oddly enough, one of my other friends, Jordan, actually had been a vegan and vegetarian in the past but now he had returned to eating meat. Then I asked my other friend, Dane, who works there, if there had been something like a veggie burger at all and he responded there was.
I was delighted. I had did find the veggie burger on the menu and I mentally rejoiced. I didn't know if the dijon mustard was vegan or not; I was too chicken to ask, Then the three of us went on about how Jordan had connections in all parts of Oshkosh. He was also discussed how he had many jobs ranging from paranormal investigator and to being a worker with the forest department. After about 15 minutes later, we got our food. My veggie burger was really good along with the endless steak fries. The steak fries weren't probably a good idea, but they were tasty none-the-less; I drank water instead of soda to make up for the steak fry indulgence. I am glad they had the veggie burger on the menu, that's something McDonald's needs to do. YUM!

As you have seen, the interns had both easy and difficult times trying the whole foods plant-based diet. Yet in the end, they all left with a more developed conscience on both diet and eating. While the blog posts progressed, one can see how the interns began to understand the importance of making healthy choices and the after effects of them. In the end, the interns walked away with a feeling of accomplishment during the whole foods plant-based diet challenge.

Cancer Survivor Hollye Harrington Jacobs Shares Story

Since the time of my breast cancer diagnosis, we have talked openly with our five year-old daughter. While the personal nature of this circumstance made the conversations emotionally challenging, my professional experience as an adult and pediatric hospice nurse gave me both the tools and confidence to ensure that we gave her the developmentally appropriate answers.

Right after my treatment finished, our daughter has been revisiting a lot of the original questions as well as asking some new ones. For example, the other day while driving to school, Finally Five asked, “Do you think that your cancer will come back?” GULP.

So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you her questions and our answers. These questions tend to be typical of most children affected by a cancer diagnosis.

• What is cancer?
• The body is made up of cells. Cells make our bodies work. They are so tiny that you need a microscope to see them.
• Cancer cells don’t look or act like normal cells. They don’t allow our normal, healthy cells to work properly. They can grow very fast and spread. Cancer cells may group together to form a tumor.
• There are many different types of cancer. Cancer can grow anywhere in the body.
• Finally Five wanted to know if a person could get cancer in your eyes, on your skin and in your legs.
• There is an iPad application called 3D4medical that has an image of a breast cancer cell. It is an ominous looking beast of a cell. This was really helpful for Finally Five to envision what was in my body and to then understand the sense of urgency (& drastic measures!) to get it out.

• Is cancer contagious?
• Cancer is not something that you can catch from someone else like you can a cold or the flu.
• You can be close to the person who has cancer and not worry about catching it.

• Did I cause cancer?
• No. Nothing that anyone does, says or thinks can cause cancer in someone else. Ever.
• Though they will rarely ask the question out loud, YES, children wonder whether they caused cancer. It’s sad, but true. If this question isn’t addressed, children can carry this fear (that they had some hand in causing cancer) with them into adulthood.

• Why do people get cancer?
• Most of the time, no one knows why someone gets cancer. It’s hard to not have all of the answers, but the truth is we don’t.

• What causes cancer?
• There is still a lot we don’t know about how cancer begins and what causes it?
• Sometimes cancer can be caused by some chemicals, air pollution (smoke), certain viruses and other things inside and outside the body.

• Do children get cancer?
• Yes, unfortunately children do get cancer. It is rare for children to get cancer. More adults get cancer than children.

• Who will take care of me?
• There are lots of people who will help me take care of you when I’m feeling sick. When I’m finished with my cancer treatment, I will be strong again. When I’m getting my treatment, I’ll be around as much as I possibly can and we will do different things when I’m sick, like watch Silver Lining movies and read books.
  
  Another reason to process information about cancer with parents is that children learn about cancer from other sources, e.g., school, television, the Internet, their classmates, and listening to other people talk. Some of this information is correct but a lot of it is not. Not knowing what is really going on or how to cope with information about cancer can be terrifying to a child.
  So, doesn’t it just make more sense to hear the information at home?
  Talking about cancer does not have to be traumatic. If anything, NOT talking about it is ultimately more traumatic. In the past, misplaced embarrassment about cancer has allowed misunderstandings and fears about the illness to grow. Remember: there are always professionals who are willing and able to help when parents feel overwhelmed by talking with children (Silver Lining). Engaging professional help when coping with cancer is a sign of strength and resourcefulness.
  
  

  Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.

  ~Thomas Jefferson
• Go to the following sites to learn more about Hollye:
• www.TheSilverPen.com
• hollye@thesilverpen.com
• twitter.com/hollyejacobs

Interview with Rosie's mom

Please tell me about your family’s NF journey.

Rosie was born with café au lait spots and we didn’t think anything of it; I thought they were just birthmarks. At her six-month check up the doctor counted five spots on her body and mentioned neurofibromatosis,but said not to worry unless she had 6 or more. I took her home and found eight. I called him back and said, “now what?” the doctor then referred us to the NF Clinic at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Rosie had her first NF clinic visit at 10 months old.

But it wasn’t until her third birthday that she was officially diagnosed with NF1;waiting for the official diagnoses and seeing the disorders indicators come out in her made for a very frustrating two years. Just after her diagnoses, she began randomly throwing up and was also very lethargic. Her pediatrician wanted to treat her for acid reflux, then it was “maybe she just can’t shake a virus”. But I knew in my gut something was really wrong, so I contacted the NF specialist and asked if he had seen this type of thing before. He wanted her in for an MRI that same day. The MRI revealed that she had an inoperable brain tumor and acquired obstructive hydrocephalus. It was the most devastating news I have ever received. We were faced with our child having brain surgery and placing a shunt in her brain to work as a drain for the excess fluid; it all happened so fast.

To date, Rosie has had thirteen surgeries, five of those brain surgeries due to shunt malfunctions. The other surgeries were due to other complications. NF caused the brain tumor, but the brain tumor’s location has caused all of Rosie’s other medical issues. For example: she has growth issues. At one point she was growing at a rate of 11 inches a year. It’s called Pituitary Gigantism. With Rosie, the growth hormone is on full-blast. She is the height of a nine-year-old despite being only seven. I remember when I had to buy her new shoes every month or so--it was crazy. I have to give her injections everyday to try and control the growth hormone. Since 2009, the growth hormone suppressant is working, but now I can see she’s going through another growth spurt, so we don’t know if it's working now, or needs another adjustment.

We’re running out of options with what can be done for her. With her it’s trial and error with treatment because of her particular diagnosis of NF; she has a very rare and complex case. We live day-to-day and try to make the best of it. She’s definitely a very special kid with what she’s going through. The toughest question she’s asked me was, “Am I gonna die?” Talk about heart wrenching, but we don’t lie to her, “everyone dies Rosie”, I can remember saying, “but most people just die when they’re older, like Nana.” She has seen too many kids loss their battles.

This year, her New Year’s resolution is to live to be 10. She is staying strong and living for the moment. She’s a positive kid; loving, caring and compassionate. She’ll comfort other kids in the hospital who are going through a hard time. No matter how long she’s here, she is leaving her mark on this world.

Rosie enjoys spreading joy, sunshine and hope every where she goes. She has spoken at two different high schools about blood drives and as a result they had a record number of kids sign up to donate blood;the impact she’s had is amazing. She’s also providing toys for family BINGO night for the Littlest Tumor Foundation’s Wellness Retreat. She’s raised over $300,000 for her causes and she’s collected thousands of toys for Rosie’s Toy Box. Rosie will talk to anybody and promoting her Toy Box (www.Research4Rosie.com) anywhere. She’s always busy doing something. Rosie has plans for the year for all the different things she wants to do. She even has a little rap that she has to introduce herself. She’s learned to take a challenging situation in her life and turn it into a positive one for everyone around her.

What type of neurofibromatosis does she have?

The short answer NF1. The long answer, Rosie has a very complex and extremely rare case; a combination of medical diagnoses. Her case has never been seen before or since her diagnosis. That’s the weird thing about NF, every case is so unique. It’s the same, but very different, the way NF manifests itself in each individual; it’s a mystery, so unpredictable.

Because Rosie has a very distinct set of syndromes, conditions and disorders that come together to make a very unusual case of NF. The “norms” that doctors have seen with other NF kids are atypical for Rosie. She is often times teaching her doctors, just how to treat her NF and brain tumor.

How is Rosie’s spirit through all this? I’ve heard she’s got a super-upbeat shiny personality.

She’s an amazing kid; very inspiring! She’s very charismatic and can strike up a conversation with almost anyone. I certainly can’t take all the credit for it, it’s God given. But it also has to do with the way we’ve handled all her medical issues, how we approach it. She knows she can trust us, that we are honest with her, we don’t dumb things down. We tell her in words she’ll understand and not sugar-coat things, she knows what she’s facing and she comes to terms with it on her level. I remember when Rosie was really little she was taking a bath and tried washing off a brown spot on her leg; I told her it was one of her NF spots. Later I had given her a brown-and-white spotted dog and Rosie said the dog had NF too. We told her from day one, that she had NF, how it made her special; that God made her that way and she should be proud of who she is, it’s apart of her, it doesn’t define her. I think that lots of kids have parents who want to hide it; I think it makes them feel ashamed, like it’s something they shouldn’t talk about or share.

Discuss how her sibling supports her.

Bella is very supportive of her sister, but it’s really tough on her too. She goes through a gamut of emotions with her sister’s conditions Being jealous of the attention Rosie gets, then feeling guilty for feeling jealous because she understands that Rosie has to have our attention at times, feeling angry because she got stuck with a sister with NF and cancer, but at the same time knowing Rosie didn't choose this life either. They share all the usual sibling rivalry like any other family. But she’s there for Rosie 100% and she chooses to be apart of everything, and she does have a choice, I think that’s important. When Rosie has a surgery, Bella is right there sitting on the hospital bed with Rosie, talking to her or watching TV with her before she has to go in. As for her personality, she’s a little quieter and isn’t nuts about the limelight, but she’s learned to speak her mind by listening and watching her little sister. Bella is a stronger person because of what she’s gone through with Rosie; she’s empathetic and very loving.

What are some ways your family has raised awareness for Rosie?

I publicly speak and raise awareness in anyway I can. We’ve educated family, friends, neighbors, other parents and classmates--our community really--about NF. At one time, some of the kids and even parents at Rosie's school worried that Rosie's NF was contagious. I’ve also learned that sometimes people don’t even know they have NF or weren’t told about it until later in life. Some pediatricians don’t even know about it. At least ours knew about the café au lait spots and had enough knowledge of its existence to refer us on to Children's. There have been nurses who have “heard about it” but have never come into contact with people who have had NF, while other nurses don’t even know about it. We take that opportunity to teach them; Rosie will lift up her shirt and say, "see" so they recognized it the next time they see it on another child We’ve even tried to get on Oprah and now we are pushing to meet Ellen DeGeneras. We have been incredibly blessed with all the people who have supported us; without all of their love and support we just wouldn't be able to reach as many people as we do. Both the girls were also adopted by teams through Friends of Jaycln Foundation. Rosie has two teams at North Central College in Naperville and Bella has one here in Palatine, the FREMD girls swimming and diving team. They love it! Rosie tells me everyday to live for the now, in the moment, to have hope, love and humor in our lives to say how you feel today and don't wait for tomorrow. She is a blessing in my life

What are some words of advice that you have for other families who have children with NF?

To be honest with their children and not make them feel different in a negative way. To help their child to be proud of who they are. They should surround themselves with knowledge, because knowledge is power; make a difference, get involved. We could sit around feeling sorry for ourselves, feel bad that NF has touched our lives or we could get off the couch and go do something about it. The best advice I can give to a parent of a child with NF is to be honest with your kids. I’ve met people who don’t know what to tell their children about NF. Get the support of others around you. Connect with other families who are going through what you are, who really "get it", who understand. There is this one family, whom I have never met in person, in Minnesota where they too have to cope with a loved one having NF. We support each other.

Rosie reminds us all to live life to the fullest. There’s this one commercial on TV and there is this woman standing on top of a mountain and Rosie said, “That’s the way we need to live mom.” – Overcoming everything and staying positive through whatever live throws at you.

Check out: www.Research4Rosie.com

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaS7RMn_LXI Join: www.carepages.com/carepages/Rosiespage

Friend Rosie on Facebook! "RosieRose"

Follow Rosie on Twitter! "RockStarRosie1"

E-mail: RosiesToyBox@gmail.com

Q & A with Catherine founder of Weelicious

Q1: Your website Weelicious, has become a go-to for easy, fast, nutritious meals and recipes for may families. What inspired you to get started on this cooking path?

A: I wanted to inspire my kids to be great eaters. I have always been fascinated how some children love good food--- why some are great eaters and some are picky. The idea of how much impact do you as a parent have on your children’s eating.

Q2: What do you love about cooking?

A: Beginning, middle and end. I love finding the produce at farmer’s markets that have fresh seasonal produce. I love cooking it and finally feeding my family.

Q3: What is the most popular dish people love from your website?

A: Oh so many-- Raspberry Cream Cheese Tart, Kale Chips, Cinnamon Roasted Chick Peas, Crock-pot Mexican Lasagna.

Q4: What is your all-time favorite recipe?

A: Parchment Fish. Cut pieces of parchment and your ready to go. You can throw in anything vegetables, fish, shrimp, tofu (for vegans), sauces and bake. It is great for a dinner party as everyone has a hand-in-creating what the are eating.

Q5: What is you son Kenya’s favorite hands-on dish to make?

A: Anything and everything. My children will eat anything when they help-out. Pick it at the farmer’s market or from a garden and chances sky rocket of them eating it. My son will actually say this pizza needs kale. Have them stuff the blender for smoothies. Really just get them involved.

Q6: Any tips on how we should stock the refrigerator and pantry?

A: Fruits in season, bananas, avocados, chicken, make pancakes or waffles and double, pasta rice beans, oatmeal, parmesan cheese.

Q7: Because we love green juice at the Littlest Tumor Foundation, what is a great smoothie you like for kids.

A: Get the kids to make. Super Juice-- kale, water, agave and lemon. It gives super-powers.

Q8: Daily recipe posts, weekly video clips, and much more on Weelicious. What is in the future for Weelicious?

A: Two books! One next summer --it will have 30% content of philosophy on how kids become great eaters. The second will be in 2013 a school lunch cookbook.

We at the Littlest Tumor Foundation cannot wait!

Healthy miracles with My Culinary Angel Linda Ott

Q) Tell me about yourself i.e. hobbies, activities, parenting…ect.

A) My hobbies include gardening, sewing, cooking (of course!), reading, and traveling both in and out of state, biking, swimming and playing with my two daughters. I have always loved cooking and that is my first love even before I decided to cook for a living. When I’m not cooking for a client, you can usually find me in my kitchen cooking up a special treat for a bunch of teenagers or my own family.

Q) Tell me about the type of cooking services that you provide to people.

A) The mainstay of my business is cooking for people on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Most of my current clientele reached out for me because they were struggling with a new diet i.e. diabetes, low cholesterol, low fat, etc. I also do fun cooking parties where people cook with me and then enjoy the fruits of their labors and cooking classes for children. And from time to time, I do dinner parties for small gatherings in my clients’ homes. Some of the people I cook for are overwhelmed because of they have to give up eating something or have to start eating new foods due to what a dietician said. After just a few cooking sessions, they see there is a new world--a new set of foods for them to choose from. I know I have succeeded when I receive wonderful comments about the new foods I have introduced to my clients. Sometimes I help them go through their kitchen cupboards, and help them clear out the unhealthy food choices based upon what the dietician has told them. Other times, I meet the clients at the grocery store and help them learn to shop for healthier choices. It’s just overwhelming for them to adjust to their new lifestyles, but at the end of the day, I find it very rewarding to help them.

Q) What are you areas of expertise in the cooking field and why you chose them?

A) I enjoy cooking healthy meals & surprising my clients with delicious and nutritious meal options--eating healthy doesn't have to be boring! I do a lot of research on the recipes I make. The web has truly made it simple to do this with the recipes. I have subscribed to various newsletters that help me with menu planning for specific dietary needs.

Q) Where you were you taught about this type of cooking? What motivation you to start this?

A) I learned most of my cooking skills from my first mentor at a private resort in upstate New York. William Schwartau took a chance and hired me. He taught me to make some interesting dishes such as beef tongue and ox tail soup! I went to college and learned learned to perfect my cooking and menu planning skills. After college, I went to work for Marriott. I have worked in every hotel department and have always come back to my love of food either working in restaurants or catering. After 31 years of moving around for a company and working 60-80 hours a week 365 days a year, I decided to take my skills and become self-employed. I started My Culinary Angel, LLC about a year ago.

Q) What types of dishes do you cook for others and at home?

A) I am pretty fortunate that I can follow any recipe and have success. Usually with a new recipe I’ll follow it the first time and the second time, I’ll put my own personal touch on it. At home I love to experiment--when I cook for my family I don’t often use recipes.

Q) Do you suggest people by local or homegrown food or going and buying food? Explain.

A) If you have the space and the time in your schedule, growing your own food is not only healthy, but very rewarding. I grow my own herbs during the spring and summer, and during fall and winter I move them from outdoors and into my basement; it kind of becomes a jungle. Local farmers markets and food co-ops are also a great option. When I can, I always buy organic to avoid pesticides.

Q) I understand that you cooked for the Littlest Tumor Foundation retreats, why did you choose to help them?

A) After Tracy called me to meet with her, I looked up her info on the web. She gave me a run down about cooking for her Family Wellness Retreat in Door County. I had already decided before I met with her that I would donate my time for her retreat. I have been blessed with two very healthy children. I jumped at the chance to help these families have a great weekend in a special place.

Q) How can parents get their children to integrate healthy food into their diets?

A) Healthy eating should start at birth. The more you expose them to healthy foods, the more likely they will choose to eat healthy. Remember, kids are watching what you eat as well--set the right example. There is a lot of comfort food, it’s truly a mindset of choosing and I think that if you talk to anyone in the healthcare industry there are things a person can do. I think that people aren’t going to change the way they eat, until they are ready to change their eating habits.

Q) What has worked for you to get your children to eat healthy?

A) I raised them the same. My first child was raised on a vegetarian diet until about three when she came to Wisconsin. My 15-year-old has always been an easy-to-please kind of eater. She will try anything and enjoys healthy food--not to say that she doesn't enjoy junk food but if I stock my kitchen with good food, she will choose to eat good food.
My 6-year-old, on the other hand, is my picky eater. As with most kids, her tastes are constantly changing--one week she loves carrots and the next week she won't touch them! We grow a lot of our own veggies in the summer and that seems to help to get her to try the veggies after she has worked so hard to grow them. She also loves to cook with me and here again, if she is involved, she will try it. She has her days, some days I make Mac’ n Cheese but she also eats broccoli. I sometimes have to pick my battles. During the summer she is more likely to eat vegetables because she could see how they grow. I also find that she is more willing to try new things if they are simple--not a lot of sauces or seasoning and she prefers to eat one food at a time so no casseroles for her. I find that when I cook with my daughter she is more willing to try it later.

Q) In closing, what are some tips or even advice to give to people who are trying to eat and cook healthier?

A) The web has made searching for recipes so much easier than scouting through countless cookbooks. From what I have read I have learned that fresh is best, but frozen is the best second choice. When I do my own freezing I do them in servings of four and when it’s for a family or yourself then fresh is the best idea to go.
Take baby steps; don't try to overhaul your diet overnight. Start by adding a new fruit or vegetable each week or every other day. Try practicing Meatless Monday. Whip up a new flavored smoothie each week.

The Littlest Tumor Foundation thanks Linda Ott for this interview on how people can change their and their families’ lives by using healthier and tasty cooking options. If you are interested in her services or contacting her, Ms. Ott can be reached at:

My Culinary Angel LLC
A Personal Chef Service
(920) 904-1684
lindaott@hotmail.com
or check out her website at:

My Culinary Angel

Neurofibromatosis intern

Hello all,
My name is Mardy Wiesman, a recent spring 2011 graduate from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. I had gone to college for a journalism degree with an emphasis in advertising and religious studies minor. I enjoy writing and my dream job someday will to be a copywriter. I have recently started at the Littlest Tumor Foundation (LTF) in late November 2011. Here, I am going to be in charge of the blog and contacting fellow bloggers on the net to join the LTF blog.
Prior to my internship here, I had no idea what neurofibromatosis (NF) was at the time. I sometimes would watch The Learning Channel (TLC) from time to time and there were a handful of specials on the disorder from time to time, although I forgot the disorder’s name over the course of time. After reading the book “Understanding Neurofibromatosis: 2nd Edition An Introduction for Patients and Parents” by James Tonsgard, Ph.D., for LTF, I was able to connect the disorder with the documentary specials I had watched years before. One of the points of both the book and the documentaries was the mentioning of café-au-lait or coffee mixed with milk-colored spots that were present on those who were afflicted with NF.
Then it came back to me. I remembered how some people would have these spots on their body and that would be all they would be afflicted with. Then I remembered how other people would get a more severe case of NF and have neurofibroma or tumors all over their bodies. Yet at the same time, NF is a common, yet relatively unheard of disorder. Here at LTF we are spreading the word on NF by means of social media such as blogging and Facebook, but also through events and campaigns. Together we can find a cure for children with NF before they reach adulthood. Join LTF today and soon we will find a treatment because, “Tumors in children, we do not like them!”

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