Easy Plant Based Recipes

After my reconstruction surgery, I decided to do a two week trial of eating  plant based.  I had seen documentaries and articles about the benefits of plant based diets, and I wanted to give it a try! I wanted to cut out cancer causing foods–most of those foods are meat related (processed meat, red meat, charred meat, farmed salmon).  So I did a little research and saw the pros of eating fruits, vegetables, and beans.  Side note: when I say “plant based”, I don’t mean vegan–I still ate dairy products and eggs. I thought it would be hard to cut out meat, but it turns out it wasn’t too bad! Did I slip up a few times? Of course! But luckily I found some recipes that I really liked and helped me stick to it.  I plan on continuing this diet, because I feel a lot better and healthier.  Also, I saved money–when I would go grocery shopping, I always spent less then $40 and the food would last me a week or more.  Below are some of my favorite recipes.  Some of these recipes are vegan, and the ones that aren’t can easily be adapted.  Let it be noted that these are super easy meals that take less than 30 minutes, because I’m not the biggest fan of cooking.  Enjoy!

Breakfast:

Toasted english muffin with peanut butter and raisins

English muffin with fried egg, cheese, tomato, spinach, salt, and pepper

Toast with peanut butter and banana

Tortilla with scrambled eggs, tomato, mixed greens, mayo, salt and pepper

Lunch/Dinner:

Egg salad sandwich with a side of vegetables

Egg salad recipe: I didn’t follow it verbatim–you can tweak it however you would like.

Buddha Bowl: chick peas, quinoa, mixed greens, guacamole, and red pepper dressing

Buddha Bowl Recipe: This recipe was definitely way out of my comfort zone.  It was my first time eating quinoa.  It called for avocado, but I didn’t have one so I used guacamole instead.

Mixed vegetables with brown rice

For this I just sautéed onions, potatoes, squash, zucchini, and red pepper in a pan over medium heat until the vegetables were tender.  I seasoned it with turmeric, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. I added a little teriyaki sauce to my rice to give it some extra flavor.

Mexican bowl: Uncle Ben’s Spanish style rice, tomatoes, fresh corn on the cob, guacamole, and sour cream

Please share any advice or recipes with me!

xoxo,

LT

Life Afraid

One thing I didn’t prepare for was life after cancer. Although I’m trying to move on from cancer, I find myself being reminded of it constantly.  Whether I’m watching tv or talking to a neighbor, cancer seems to come up. The other day, I was talking to a neighbor, and he told me about his sister who battled with breast cancer for 20 years before passing away from it. Not exactly the kind of story I want to hear! I was watching my favorite show, The Bachelorette 🌹, and one of the contestants told the story about how his mom passed away from breast cancer. Triggered! Literally as I’m writing this, the tv show I’m watching right now is talking about the mom who just found out she has breast cancer! I guess I just wasn’t prepared for it to always be present in my life and to be reminded of it. One of my biggest fears is having the cancer come back–whether it’s in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years from now. I have to remind myself that I survived and to take it one day at a time. One of my favorite songs says it best–it’s called Life Afraid by Set It Off:

I, I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.
And letting all these negative thoughts collide,
Why betray my mind, when I know the control is mine.

Got no time to sit on the sidelines and watch ‘em play,
People around the world, people around the world,
Gotta strike like lightning, and shine like we’re not afraid.
People around the world say,

I’m alive,
I’m breathing today,
I’m alive,
Just dying to make,
A good vibe,
I’m still in the game,
And I won’t live my life afraid, hey!

No, nobody can relieve me of my ghosts,
But I refuse to let ‘em define my soul,
Though they come and go, I’m the one with the guts to stay.

My friends and I got to meet two of the band members from Set It Off.

xoxo,

LT

Quick Trip to San Diego

Planning a vacation can be stressful, especially if it’s a quick one. If you’re planning a trip to San Diego, check out the article I wrote for Southern Departure—it’s a guide on how to make the most of your time in San Diego. Click the link above for useful tips and pictures. 

xoxo,

LT

Staying Cancer Free

Now that my cancer journey is coming to an end, I want to focus on staying cancer free. My oncologist is doing everything to make sure that happens by still giving me treatment through August and putting me on the hormone pill for ten years. However, there are lifestyle changes that I can make that might make a difference! So this summer I am focusing on those changes. It might not be easy, but I’ll give it a shot. Although there are tons of studies about how to stay cancer free, I am going to focus on the ones recognized by the American Cancer Society.

1. Alcohol: Sadly, some studies have shown a connection between alcohol and many types of cancer (including breast cancer).  Although I only drink socially, I do plan on cutting back on the amount of alcohol I drink this summer. Moderation is key!
2. Physical activity: This seems like an obvious one. Physical activity is so beneficial for your overall health. Studies have showed that cancer survivors who did physical activity daily lived longer and were less likely in having the cancer return. It can be a simple as going on walk. Just do it!
3. Nutrition: I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been slacking on this one. And I feel like it is the most important one. What you put into your body is going to determine how you feel. Studies show that fruits, vegetables, antioxidants, and fiber will decrease your chances of getting cancer. Meanwhile red meats and processed foods could increase your chances of getting cancer. A lot of people take supplements to get their nutrients, however doctors prefer their patients to get their nutrients from the food they eat. My main focus is cutting out processed foods. Although they are convenient, they are very unhealthy. In the future, I hope to post some easy recipes that follow these rules.

My aunt mailed me this book when I was going through chemo. It is an excellent resource for healthy recipes. Also, it tells the benifits of different foods.

Xoxo,

LT