A Healing Macrobiotic Vegan Meal During Chemotherapy

I wrote this post on June 25, 2010 and my friend passed away on November 2, 2010.

June 25, 2010: Right now I am visiting my family friend in Massachusetts, who is going through chemotherapy for a rare form of small cell prostate cancer. The experience has certainly been enlightening and challenging. In the recent months I have become very focused on eating healthy in order to feel better and prevent illness, so when I heard that he had cancer I felt like I needed to share my research. However, I realized when I saw him today that it's not as easy of a solution as it seemed in my head.

When I saw my friend today I felt the pang of reality. He has just finished his second round of chemo and the hair on his head has fallen out - I barely recognized the man I've known since a teenager. However, his sprit was incredibly high - as if nothing was out of the ordinary. We went to lunch along a beautiful Massachusetts beach where he ordered a chicken wrap and I had a simple salad and baked potato. I am staying overnight in order to spend time with his fiance, whom he recently decided to wed after 18 years of partnership. His eyes lit up when she came home from work and their expression love for each other is so touching. She later broke down for a brief moment when he left the room, saying how earth shattering this experience has been for her, and how determined she is to beat it.

I offered to make them a vegan dinner and they were intrigued, but slightly unsure of how it would taste. He and I went to a nearby natural market (called The Fresh Market), which has an impressive selection of produce and organic items. I took my knowledge of cancer-fighting foods and came up with this macrobiotic-inspired meal:

• Brown rice sushi
• Steamed kale with almonds (based on the salad at Seed Kitchen)
• Coconut Macaroons (recipe by Eric Lechasseur of Seed Kitchen)

They were a little skeptical of the healthy menu, despite the great variety of wholesome foods in their kitchen; their cupboards are full of grains and beans, and their fridge is stocked with fresh fruits. They were unfamiliar with quinoa and agave nectar, so I explained the pros of the former and the cons of the latter. Though quinoa was not on the menu, he decided to buy some from the market to experiment with after hearing that it was high in protein. We walked through the market and I pointed out some of my favorite foods, and we were both disappointed that they didn't carry Daiya cheese (he wanted to try that too).

When we returned home we prepared the recipes together. It resulted in an amazing meal that we all enjoyed, especially the dessert. They were thrilled about learning how to make their own sushi, and I'm pretty sure they'll make the macaroons again. It was so rewarding to have the opportunity to show how easy and delicious vegan food can be.

Though it doesn't seem like my subtle message about the effects of healthy eating on cancer got through, I hope I at least planted a seed; there's only so much I can say or do, the rest is up to them. And at the end of the night I was left wondering if the plant-based diet really is the best way to fight cancer, or if I'm just biased and influenced by the opinions of other vegans... But isn't it worth a shot when life is on the line? In a later post I'll go into more details on our discussions and my thoughts on the varying opinions. 

My priority is to share these incredible recipes.

Brown Rice Vegan Sushi:

Ingredients:

• cooked brown rice (I used long grain basmati, but organic sushi rice is best)
• nori sheets
• avocado
• carrots
• cucumber
• ginger

Preparation:

1. Cook the brown rice (usually takes about 40 minutes on the stove)
2. Remove the nori sheets from the packaging and place on a flat surface with enough room to maneuver around.
3. Spread a thin layer of the rice on about 1/2 or 3/4 of the nori sheet. It is helpful to have a rice paddle for this process.
4. Place as much of the veggies on the rice as you would like, but keep them in a thin layer. You can use any type of vegetables or sauces you would like, depending on your preference. I also added the ginger inside, but some prefer it on top of the sushi.
5. Starting where the rice meets the bottom of the nori sheet, careful roll the sushi up into a tube shape. Take your time and make sure to keep the roll small/thin and tight. It is helpful to have a sushi mat for this process.
6. You can eat the sushi as a hand roll or cut it. If you prefer it cut, use a sharp knife and slice into 4 - 6 pieces, being careful not to put too much pressure on the roll (or it will spill out of the ends).
7. Enjoy plain or with soy sauce (or soy-free Coconut Aminos), ginger, and/or wasabi.

Asian Steamed Kale with Garlic Roasted Almonds:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale
• 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic
• handful of raw almonds (slivered is best)
• sesame seeds
• diced carrots
• cut cucumber
• salt
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Place kale in a steamer within a pot and cook on stove under desired texture (about 5-10 minutes)
2. Pour 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil into a small frying pan and add 1 clove of garlic. Heat on medium until garlic starts to turn brown
3. Add almonds and sesame seeds. Roast until slightly brown
4. Put kale, carrots, and cucumber in a big bowl, then pour on almonds with oil
5. Sprinkle on more sesame seeds, a dash of salt, and a teaspoon of maple syrup (or to taste).
6. Mix well and serve

Coconut Macaroons (by Eric Lechasseur):

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened is ideal, but I used sweetened and it turned out well)
• 1/4 maple syrup (brown rice syrup is preferred, but maple works as well)
• 2 tablespoons of liquid (water or nut milk)
• (optional: dark chocolate)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix all ingredients - add more or less liquid depending on how moist it is. You want to be able to form macaroon shapes without it falling apart in your hands.
3. Shape into small cone shapes, about the size of a scoop of ice cream, and place on parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. You should be able to make about 10 macaroons.
4. Place in oven and check after about 12 minutes. You want the tops to be light brown/caramelized.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-30 minutes. The longer they cool the harder they will be. When right out of the oven they tend to be very moist and fall apart, but after about 30 minutes they are crispy on the outside and slightly moist on the outside.
6. Enjoy plain, or drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

Hope you enjoy the recipes. Please let me know if you try them and how they turn out.

What are your thoughts on the effect of healthy eating on cancer prevention and healing? Has anyone in your life been successful with this form of treatment?