Everyday Strength ~ Recipes & Wellbeing Tips for Cancer Patients
By Sam Mannering & Karen McMillan
Health and Wellness books are extremely popular right now, with people realising that what we put into our bodies as fuel matters. This book fits into that category, but is specifically written for people facing cancer. The authors write from personal experience with a wealth of expertise. Sam, being a food writer and columnist at Sunday Star Times and contributor to Cuisine and House and Garden magazines; while Karen has published a dozen books both fiction and non-fiction on a range of topics including cancer, WWII memoirs, and historical novels. Karen has also been a hospice volunteer, and Sam a hospice ambassador.
Many cancer lifestyles advocate for vegetarian, vegan, organic, or raw diets. Things which are often complete upheavals of one’s former lifestyle. And although these things may be suitable for some, for others it’s an unrealistic and daunting idea. Everyday Strength however is a book about ‘making every day better’, using simple strategies, tips and recipes for people throughout the various stages and cancer treatments. It doesn’t advocate a cure, and how could it, every case is unique. Instead, what it does offer is practical solutions for common problems.
Food in life is a source of pleasure for many people, it’s how we socialise and how we often ‘treat’ ourselves, a nice meal out, a slab of cake, or an expensive cut of steak. However when managing cancer, battling a myriad of symptoms, one’s appetite and taste buds can be affected.
Therefore the chapters in this book are arranged around the symptoms that cancer treatment brings, and provides tips, insights and recipes to combat them. Exhaustion, Lack of Appetite & Weight Loss, Nausea, Common Side Effects of Hormone Therapy, Dealing with Pain & Discomfort, Hair Care, Skin & Nails are among the chapter titles. Accompanying recipes are designed to tempt the tastebuds while providing necessary nutrition. The Pork Chops with Apple Sage and Sweet Wine for example, is designed to contain Vitamins B6 & B12, magnesium, potassium and zinc as well as protein. While the Carrot Cake recipe is made for flavour with the added benefit of fibre, vitamins and minerals.
What’s great about this book, is that it’s real food - that everyone can enjoy, it’s practical, and most of all it’s realistic. If you or someone you know are currently facing ‘The Big C’ then this is definitely a book worth exploring.
If you’re interested in hearing more from the authors and their personal stories then you can see them in person at the Going West Festival this Sunday 10th September www.goingwestfest.co.nz
No comments:
Post a Comment