Life after Chemo or Radiation by Nena Neissen

Autumn is about to begin and the celebrations and festivities are approaching. Pretty soon we will be surrounded by intoxicating flavors and aromas that will entice you; just like all those cartoons that have an apple pie in the window with a scent that could almost lift you off the ground. There is a lot of pressure to give in to this pleasure that we forget what we just went through – life after chemo or radiation.

I was thinking about what kind of information I could contribute to making a difference to your life. While I was thinking about it I received an email with the following news:

“After a brave and courageous two year battle, he won his fight with brain cancer, only to become debilitated by the toxicity of the drug treatment. It was heartbreaking. Throughout the entire ordeal, he remained his heroic self. He was an inspiration to us all. Please join the family and me as we celebrate the life of this magnificent man.”

I wish I had warned him about the importance of detoxifying your body after treatment. I wish I could have told him that more than ever you need to change your lifestyle and be mindful of what you consume. I wish I could have told him about a clay bath and about liver cleanses. I wish I could have given him all kinds of information about purifying the body after such a dramatic event.

It is too late for this wonderful man but still not too late for those of you who have gone through chemo, radiation or any major surgery. It’s important to make sure you make the necessary changes to your diet and continue to adopt a healthier lifestyle so your recovery is faster and strengthen your immune system so it will be able to cope with anything life throws your way. I hope you don’t take this information as being gloomy or in a negative tone. It just comes from a place of love and concern. I learned the hard way…when the cancer came back for a second time, I was left with almost no hope and I surrendered to the inevitability of my demise. Then one day someone shared some information about the importance of piece of mind and spirit and most importantly healthy eating. A glimpse of hope lit up my face and a new hope came my way; the fighting spirit inside me came back with a strong will to survive.

Twenty-seven years have passed and I’m still enjoying the miracle of being alive every day. I contribute it to a healthier lifestyle and organizing my life priorities. I learned that accumulating possessions at expense of our health expense are useless. Fall is such beautiful season. It is the season of celebrating by eating healthy foods to enhance the quality of our life. Healthy food can be very delicious. The following is one of my wonderful recipes I hope you will enjoy.

Ultimate Vegetable Soup

1 Zucchini slice thinly
1 cup of butter-nut squash cut into small square
1 leek slice thinly (white part only)
3 medium tomatoes chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into cubes
1 cup of asparagus slice thin
½ of yellow onion slice thin
2 bunches of cilantro
2 cups of water
2 cups of raw almond milk (fresh made work best)
Start with 1 teaspoon of herbamare spice made by Vogel
1 teaspoon of Mexican season made by spice hunter
1 teaspoon of turmeric
Cayenne pepper to your taste

Instructions: Place the water into a pot and bring to a boil. Add the cilantro, Mexican season and tomatoes cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove the cilantro and discard. Smash the tomatoes with a potato smasher until almost pureed. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat Place half of the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth. Then return to the pot and mix with the remaining soup. Add the herbamare season and adjust if need more flavor (instead of salt) you can purchase herbamare season at Mother’s Market or any health food store.