Cleaning it Up

I think it's time to shake up the blog a bit. My posts have been pretty heavy lately. Life isn't so serious. I make time for fun and yummies, too. In fact laughter and clean healthy whole foods are great for healing processes. But you already knew that, right? 

Last Sunday I took inventory of my freezer and pantry then sat down with my Clean Eating, Oxygen and Eating Well magazines and came up with a plan. I need quick dishes that are rich in protein and veggies because life is wonderfully full but I still want to eat healthy. I like lots of nutritional bang from the time I put into the kitchen.

I made the following 3 recipes in about 2 hours. Seriously, just 2 little hours. You have 2 hours to devote to eating healthier, don't you? 

Burger Mix (from Oxygen's Collector's Issue Summer 2005) (I quad'ed the org recipe for the week)

 16oz extra lean ground beef (I use grass fed)

2 cups brown rice (already had it cooked and frozen so it was super easy)

1 c chopped onion

15 oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes

I added a little big of Greek seasoning and ketchip too. Yum! 

My mom wanted me to try replicate a Garbanzo bean Salad she had at catered event last week.

2 cans organic Garbanzo beans

1/4 c unsweetened dried cherries

1 big can of artichoke hearts

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped

1 clove of garlic 

4 oz goat cheese

1/3 c chopped walnuts

Then I whisked together organic oilive oil and organic apple cider vinegar to hold it together. Mom said I nailed it! Woot!! 

The last thing I 'cooked' today came from Eating Well's June 2010 issue:

Broccoli, Ham and Pasta Salad

6 ounces of dry whole wheat noodles

4 cups broccoli (I steamed a bag of frozen, because raw brocc doesn't work well at my house)

6 ounces nitrate free ham and turkey lunch meat (instead of diced ham)

large red pepper, diced

1/3 c red onion, finely diced

1/3 c raisins

Creamy Herb Dressing

1/2 c low fat mayo

1/3 c nonfat plain yogurt (I used Greek, and therefore could have easily halved or eliminated the mayo)

1/4 c lowfat sour cream

3 T rice vinegar (could sub white wine vin)

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T honey

1/2 T dried chives (or fresh)

1.5 tsp tarragon or dillweed

1/2 tsp onion and/or celery salt (I just used onion powder)

white pepper to taste

Mix it all up! 

I've got a little of the Burger Mix and Garbanzo Bean salad left to get me through the weekend. Which reminds me, I'll need to make a plan for next week soon. 

What's your clean eating plan for next week?

I finished Cathe Friedrich's STS (Shock Training System) yesterday. I'm so proud of myself! I made fantastic strength gains on a few different levels, but that's the next post. 

Don't miss it! 

May 17, 2010- An Anniversary

An excerpt from my Caring Bridge Journal, May 17, 2010

Today is my last day of work and living in Naples, Florida and so I thought a final Florida update would be appropriate. 
I continue to deal with side effects from the internal radiation treatments. It's still burning when I urinate, although I've gotten tougher and rarely cry because of it anymore. Cranberry juice helps take the edge off the burning, but there's only so much sugary juice I can handle in a day. My tummy problems have calmed down quite a bit, though I still have to be careful about what I eat or else my body screams and fusses. I'm slowly adding in fresh veggies (mostly salads, because I totally love salads and miss them so much!) and whole grains into my daily life. The fatigue that radiation causes is waning, although now I'm tired from all the packing, sorting, and trips down the stairs to the garbage cans. All the work that has gone into moving has paid off. I am ready to go, and all my preciouses are boxed up and piled up in the dining room. I hope it all fits in the mini-van.........eeeekkk!

I had a PET scan last Tuesday to see if there's any metabolic activity (which means cancer activity in PETscanese). I will get the results of that scan tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at my final meeting with my gyn oncologist here in Florida. I already have an appointment with my new gyn oncologist in Tennessee, it's May 26th. It's amazing to me how well speciality doctors and their offices can work together- sometimes. My FL gyn onc's nurse got my referral for me, made sure that the new gyn onc is on my insurance (she is, yay!), and made sure my records got transferred. So, it IS possible and I am thankful for it. My friends and co-workers are throwing me a Farewell Party after work today. After the party, we're loading up the mini-van (hopefully with some help from the big strong guys at the party) so that once I leave the condo in the morning to go to my doctor's appointment in Fort Myers we can just keep going North. 

Today~

I can't believe it's been a year since I've been home. I've been through soooo much this past year. I've been in remission for 8 months now. WhooHOOO! I'm an Aunt to 5 adorable Peeps now. I've started and been successful at a new career after leaving my job in Florida. I've lost almost 20 pounds!! I've gone from a physically sick person who literally couldn't stomach fresh clean foods (I know it sounds crazy!) and didn't have very much strength or stamina for workouts to a relatively healthy consistent exerciser (I'm a Cathlete!) who is, thankfully, able to digest clean foods again. 

My list of things to be thankful for has grown exponentially. My group of friends, supporters and Survivor-Sisters has grown beautifully, too. I've gone from long wavy hair to 100% bald to really curly growing-out hair. 

I've gone from 2 sisters physically near to me, to one that's in Texas now.  I miss her and those precious 3 Peeps deeply. I've gone from being too physically tired to walk up the stairs after radiation, to not having the physical strength to walk up the stairs during chemo, to being in intense pain while walking up or down the stairs after chemo, to walking the stairs normally. 

Big and little changes and improvements... I'm thankful for each one of them as they have brought me here today. And today is very good. 

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. ♥ Lionel Hampton

Clean Cool Eats

The road of clean eating has smoothed out. My mind and body feel so much better after a few days of veggie-rich meals! I sat down the other night with 4 issues of Clean Eating magazine and made meal plans for the following 10 days or so. I totally love meal planning time! I'll be eating mostly cold foods because my sister will be recovering from surgery here and based on my many past surgery experiences I'm empathetic to food smell sensitivity. The goal at my house is to not cook anything next week. It will work out well for me because it's going to be warming up outside this week- finally! I'm so thankful the rain has stopped, but the flooding is crazy around the mid-south. The Mississippi River has reached Beale Street, that's just insane! But I digress...

I took my grocery list to Costco last night and bought the store. If you live around Memphis don't even bother going to the North store. They have some awesome healthy and even organic food! I got a huge multi-pack of organic chicken, 3 pounds of grass fed beef, ginormous box of organic salad greens, whole grain flatbread wraps, a mega-box of Ancient Grains Granola with Almonds, beautiful big bag of wild blueberries, 3 half-gallons of 1% organic milk, the score of the store had to be 12 individual cartons of cottage cheese and fruit for only $3 (seriously!!) and I managed to pass up the extra large bags of chips. I'm not really a fan of cottage cheese since it's dairy and fairly high in sodium, but I got it because it's a small portion, was a phenomenal price and will be a decent source of protein during this week of cold foods. I should have snapped a picture of this beautiful healthy food, but I didn't even think about it. I need a blogger's boot camp, I think.

I do wish Costco had MORE organic produce, but that gives me a good reason to go to the grocery store with my sister tomorrow. We have a very special errand to run for this special Mother's Day weekend, but shhhhh don't tell anyone.

What's on the menu? Tuna and Green Olive Crostini, Curried Chicken (or tuna- to be decided later) salad with apples, Cobb Salad with White Fish, maybe a half recipe of Kale and Bean salad, and Veggie Soup with veggie pasta per my sister's request.

What's on YOUR clean menu for next week?

I'll also have my usual oatmeal (I'll soak it overnight in the fridge to avoid any cooking) with blueberries and flax seeds, Ancient Grains Granola with blueberries, and organic Greek yogurt with, yes, blueberries for breakfasts and snacks. Blueberries are such a great anti-cancer fruit! Eat more blueberries, people!!

I'm all set for a clean week of cool eats and care giving. It feels nifty! But first, we'll celebrate Mother's Day weekend. I haven't been home for Mother's Day in 3 years. I'm so thankful to get to share the weekend with my Mom. How are you celebrating Mother's Day this year?

Easter 2011 vs 2010

My life is dramatically-and wonderfully- different this Easter than last Easter.

Last Easter I was almost halfway through my external radiation treatments. 

This Easter I've been in remission for 7 months.

Last Easter I worked a 8 hour shift by myself in a beautiful resort on Marco Island, Florida.

This year I got to spend the holiday with Mom, one of my sisters and her Peeps. I missed my other sister and her Peeps very much.

Nana and 'Lily'

My sister Heidi and her daughter (aka 'my' Lily)  

The baby of the whole family

Last Easter I was dealing with a terrible allergy flare up in addition to the unpleasant side effects of radiation.

This Easter I have essential oils to relieve my allergies in a gentle and all natural way.

Last Easter weekend my sister Heidi cut off her long curly hair and donated it to Locks of Love in my honor. Today most people would never know I was bald a few short months ago.

Last Easter was my other sister's, Sally's, birthday. 

This year Easter is late. I still don't understand why.

Sally and 2 of her Peeps (I call them Georgie Boy and  Cupcake.)

Last Easter I was just beginning to read the Anti-Cancer Book. 

This Easter it's my new normal way of eating.

Last Easter I was dating a man, but it didn't work out. 

This Easter a man I've loved for a long time, and who is serving his country overseas, sent me flowers to celebrate Easter and my Remission. The note included this quote by Emily Bronte~ 

There is not room for Death, Nor atom that his might could render void: Thou - Thou art Being and Breath, And what Thou art may never be destroyed. 

Last Easter my body wasn't able to work out as hard as my mind wished.

This Easter I started Week 3 of Cathe Friedrich's Shocking Training System.

This is me pre-cancer #2, October 2009, on the back porch of my old Florida home.

I am thankful that I have so much to be thankful for this Easter. 2011 Easter wins, definitely.

Learning from my Meltdown

How do you picture your ideal daily routine? In my mind's eye I picture Yoga and meditation first thing in the morning followed by a healthy protein rich breakfast with freshly brewed organic green tea. Email, FB and Twitter connections. Then I productively work from home connecting with and helping clients in various ways or studying for a couple hours. Cathe Friedrich workout time. Shower, then a veggie rich lunch. Back to work for a few hours. Email, FB, Twitter, food tracking break. I prepare a protein and veggie rich dinner and enjoy sharing the happenings of the day with Mom and whoever else may join us. In the evenings I meet with clients; or spend time with my sisters, nieces and nephews; or chat with my friends online; or read; or meet with friends in person; or provide volunteer Reiki to cancer Fighters or Survivors or by request; or relax with my favorite TV shows and make a meal plan for the next day. Before I lay down to sleep I write inspirational, honest, and sometimes funny blog posts about the positive effects surviving cancer has brought to my life. Self- Reiki treatment lulls me into a beautifully relaxed state and I sleep deeply. 


This is the daily routine that I tried to force upon myself last week in the form of the Google calendar. I set up my whole week starting each morning at 7:30. That approach failed. I rebelled against my own creation. Crazy, I know, but it happened. It even led to a total emotional meltdown last Wednesday. I cried myself to sleep in bed in the middle of the afternoon. Other issues contributed, too, but I mostly melted down under the pressure I was putting on myself to be my version of perfect. Yes, I am perfectly aware that there's no such thing as perfect. I guess I forgot. I blame the chemo-brain. 


Since meltdown day I had been trying to figure out what was keeping me from this ideal routine I had dancing around in my head. It wasn't until this past Sunday when it all came together in my head. I have 3 major challenges to face:

1. My body still requires a lot of sleep. Although it's been 7 months since my final chemo treatment, my body is still healing and dealing with the side effects. One of those side effects is tiredness. I get worn out faster than before cancer treatments. My stamina is improving slowly, and I am very thankful for the progress. I want to give my body the time, space and grace that it needs to fully heal and that requires sleep. A part of me is embarrassed by it. A part of me is frustrated with this body. A part of me wants to ignore it and hope it goes away. My Spirit is wiser than my feelings, though. My Spirit knows that there's no time limit to this journey of healing, and that there's no shame in it either. I must accept it, and embrace it. I also have to take responsibility for it. That means getting into bed earlier so I can get 9-10 hours of sleep each night and wake up before 10am. (Please pay no attention to the time stamp of this post.) 
2. I spend too much time e-socializing. I recently fell in love with Twitter and like many early romances I allowed it- happily- to eat up my time. Even though Twitter and Facebook bring educational and other positive aspects to my life I have to control how much time I spend e-connecting. The time I've been spending online is better spent studying, working or sleeping. Yes, it does kind of suck. Being a responsible grown up just sucks sometimes. I'll suck it up. 
3. The third challenge I face is trying to change too many things about my routine-and, yes, myself- at one time. I think that's the biggest reason my Google calendar schedule failed last week. It felt overwhelming. It LOOKED overwhelming! I'm a Type A personality, and it just doesn't mesh well with chemo-brain or chemo related tiredness. I need a routine, but not a rigid hour by hour schedule. I need self-enforced boundaries that benefit me in a valuable way. I need and want to extend my body grace and gratitude it needs in order to continue to heal, strengthen, and improve.

I recognize that I can't create my ideal daily routine overnight. (Finally!) I do, however, have the ability to take a few graceful and purposeful baby steps. I will start going to bed- and to sleep- earlier. I will limit my e-socializing time to 2 blocks of 30 minutes during the day. I will use that newly 'found' time to study and build my professional life. I will give my body the gift of Yoga at least twice this week and the gift of self-Reiki at least 3 times this week. (I promise I will write something on my Reiki page very soon, too!)


Step by step and grace by grace I will create my ideal daily routine and ultimately the life of my dreams. I'm beginning to embrace the changes I need to make to create the productive and peaceful life I want for myself.  All things in moderation, right? 

Is there anything keeping YOU from the life of your dreams?

 What can you start doing today to move towards it? 

Tweet Tweet

I'm going to tell you, dear read, something that may upset or shock you. Prepare yourself. Ready?

I officially like Twitter more than Facebook.

I like the quick pace of Twitter. I love that I can 'follow' (which is Twitter's equivalent of Facebook's 'friend') any person or company that has an open account. Most companies and people DO have open accounts. You can always unfollow or block a person or company if you change your mind. I feel as if my world has expanded in a wonderful new way through fascinating and inspirational people. Twitter is helping me to realize how truly we are interwoven. It's motivating me be kinder and more loving to myself and everyone else.

If you don't have a Twitter account (yes, it's free), I suggest that you get one. It's fun, you can learn more about stuff you like, you'll meet new friends (always use caution, though! be safe out there in cyberspace!), and discover new people and things to love. And special Twitter-only coupons, too. You don't have to write any Tweets, you can be a lurker and still get lots of enjoyment and edification.

Thanks to Twitter, I fell in love- and awe!- with ZipList. I've got a thing going for Eat This, Not That too. And I've read some awesome blogs written by wonderful talented people.

Here are some of my favorite recent Tweets. Do you see the theme?

@AncientProverbs Motivational Quotes

Quality is not an act, it is a habit. -Aristotle

@SandraAhten Reasonable Diet

The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed. ~~Chinese Proverb

SandraAhten Reasonable Diet 

 by ConnieScheel

Act as if it were impossible to fail. ~~ Dorothea Brand.

SandraAhten Reasonable Diet 

 by ConnieScheel

Each time you judge yourself you break your heart. ~Kripal Venanji

ZipList ZipList 

 by ConnieScheel

Have you tried out our Recipe Clipper? You can save every one of your favorite recipes from across the web in one place.http://ow.ly/4xvk9

@BrokenIdiot Broken Idiot™

If the loser keeps his smile the winner will loose the thrill of victory.

@QmsMeditation Mike Hughes

"The wise man does not lay up his own treasures. The more he gives to others, the more he has for his own." Lao Tzu

QmsMeditation Mike Hughes 

 by ConnieScheel

“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” Marcus Aurelius

DrWayneWDyer Dr Wayne W Dyer  by ConnieScheel 

People need to be right. If you can remove that issue from your life, you'll save yourself lots of suffering

HealthyFellow J P Fanton  by ConnieScheel

"Be not the slave of your own past." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

ConiConstantine ConiConstantine  by ConnieScheel

if you push yourself further than you've ever you likely won't go back. See what you're made of peeps!

SlowFoodUSA Slow Food USA  by ConnieScheel

RT @CUESA: U have until 4/29 to tell EPA not to allow use of cancer-causing methyl iodide on conventional strawberries http://bit.ly/e5phcv

Dr_StevenG Steven Gurgevich PhD  by ConnieScheel

Forgiveness allows you to let go of negative feelings about yourself or another than have been within you far too long. #mindbody

JackSht Jack Sh*t  by ConnieScheel

Don't ever let anybody make you feel bad about yourself, stupid.

strongnewskinny Adam Farrah 

 by ConnieScheel

None of us are perfect. We all have our own unique strengths. Don't worry about how you measure up to any one...http://fb.me/vSh8XBNI

And my personal favorite of the week.....

@CraftsteakLVCraftsteakLV

@ConnieScheel We wish you were here too! Make any great meals yet out of the cookbook? Read your blog today, awesome! Thank you:)